Let me tell you about a beautiful, unique, prized piece of pottery that was brought back from a very special location. The pottery was truly exquisite and happy. But then without warning the pottery shattered. The pottery was saddened that it might not ever be the same and that it might be impossible to fix. It wondered what it might look like if it was pieced together.
Would it be the same?Would it be as beautiful and unique as before?
Would it bring the same happiness that it once brought before it broke or would it bring sadness and heartache of something that was broken and changed?
Could it be restored to its precious lines of strength and beauty?
Because of the unique character of this pottery and because of where it came from that gave it great worth, it was slowly pieced and put back together. Little by little and with much love and dedication it started to form into what it once was.
There are cracks and missing chips, because when pottery breaks it shatters and the shard pieces are scattered. Piecing it back together becomes a taxing but worthwhile chore, as each piece is carefully placed into its correct position to make it whole again.
Maybe those missing pieces and broken parts add unique character over the course of piecing it back together.
I feel like I am this piece of pottery.
Most often than not, when things are broken there is reinforcement that is needed to help hold it together, and for me that is the knowledge of the gospel and the love of my Heavenly Father and of my Savior. Only the Savior through his atonement can piece me back together. Only through the continual love of Heavenly Father are the pieces carefully placed and I am slowly being put back together and made whole.
Right now my pieces are not all put back together. Right now, I am still quite broken and shattered and I have pieces lying everywhere exposed, but I am diligently putting them all back into place, for each piece does have a purpose.
I do believe that someday, and with time, that to some the pottery might always look broken because of its deep cracks, but to others it becomes a source of strength and it will be loved for the journey it had to endure.
I hope this is the same with me.
I know who I was before my life changed in a way I never imagined. But I know who I am even more than I knew before. I have strength I didn't think I ever had. My biggest fear in life was to lose a child. I lost a child. I am surviving it. I am doing it. I didn't know I had that strength. Out of one shattering experience, I am taking each piece of my broken heart and binding it to make it stronger and becoming what I am truly meant to be. The crisis that broke my heart also has brought great growing pains, great opportunity, life lessons, strength, more practical experience, more wisdom, more compassion and even more happiness that hopefully creates better beauty in the aftermath. My heart has been opened. I understand and love people more. How can I not be grateful for the things I am learning and for my broken heart that is being strengthened and healed through this trial.
I hope that the little pieces that have been glued back together and are still being glued back together will only give me more character and love and bring me closer to my Savior and my Father and will enable me to live with my precious daughter and family again.
I know I am different, because I should be different, but I hope I am infinitely a better configuration than I was before, as like the broken pottery.
