The other day I was looking at some pottery that either came out damaged from the firing in the kiln, or I dropped on the floor. Hate when I do that!! Anyway, can’t cry over spilled pottery so, what to do with it? I looked at each flawed or broken piece and was sad that it was not the vessel I intended for it to be because of the damage. But being the trash picker that I am (which embarrassed my children to no end), I am always thinking of new ways to use things that have been set aside as useless and of no value. What could I create out of this to become something new, interesting and with a new purpose? So, I had an idea and got out my hammer. I began to hammer until I had the pieces the sizes I wanted. Then I purchased a canvas and glued the pieces together into a heart with gold glue in between the pieces. What happened--a beautiful heart made out of broken pieces. The pottery that others might throw out because of the flaws could actually be made into something with great beauty and purpose. Just like life! People have their hearts beaten, broken and traumatized to the point they feel they can never be anything but damaged. Heart Art, as we call it, gives the opportunity to show us how God can take the broken pieces of our hearts and repair them to the point where there is beauty and purpose again, and even with more strength. In Japan they have a process called Kintsugi: the art of precious scars. The idea is by repairing broken ceramics it is possible to give new life to pottery that actually becomes more refined and strong thanks to its brokenness or scars. Instead of tossing the broken pottery away as useless, Kintsugi highlights and enhances the breaks, adding value to the piece. Each piece is joining the fragments and giving them a new, more refined aspect. Every repaired piece is unique because of the randomness with which the pottery has shattered. This technique allows it to be possible to create true and different works of art, each with its own story and beauty, thanks to the unique cracks. This technique shows us that what is true with pottery is true for our fellow human beings. We should not write off those who have been broken, abused or traumatized. Just because life has taken its toll, it doesn’t mean that they are no longer beautiful, useful and strong. When we sit with others and try to help fix the brokenness, we are helping them to become something they never dreamed possible. We want to help others cope with trauma, learn and reframe negative events in order to become more empathetic and strong. Heart Art is an art form to symbolize how God takes our brokenness and reshapes into something we never thought possible. It is not easy to put all those pieces of pottery together, nor our broken hearts, but it is well worth it. God wants to heal and restore. I have seen and felt how trauma has affected my heart—really the shame following the trauma, which caused me to think less of myself than I should. My heart has broken pieces from wounds resulting from words, abandonment, and failures. I have seen my tendency to let those things define me and the way I live. I don’t want to live that way. I want to live the way I was created to live. I want to believe God’s Word that He causes all things to work together for good and no matter what bad happens, He cares and wants to restore me and you. I can’t control this broken world I live in. I can’t really control anything, except myself and what I choose to believe. I want to see myself as God sees me. Recently I read a great book--- The author talked about how we live in a culture that is always critiquing us, assessing whether we are measuring up. Most of us look into the mirror, and what do we see? Not good all the time, right? The author states, however, that when we look into the mirror we should see what God sees—the Sistene Chapel or the Grand Canyon. Wow, now that is something beautiful! God intricately wove us in our mother’s wombs and sees us as beautiful vessels made in His image. This is how I want to think, how I want to live. How do I do this? I begin to believe what God says about me and allow him to take my broken pieces and create art out of them in order to continue making me into something new and beautiful with a new purpose. Recently, I bought a sign that I have in my work space which says, “Work with me People.” When I first saw it at the market I chuckled and felt God was saying to me, “ Would you just work with me,” in His gentle way, of course. That is what I want, I want to work with Him, not against Him. I want to let Him center me, mold me, and make me daily into the beautiful piece of art He intended for me to be in order to bring Him glory and be an aroma that draws others who have been affected by trauma. God is the great RESTORER—let him bring beauty to your ashes. If you have a group of 10-12 people who would be interested in exploring Heart Art, contact Dust to Dawn Pottery at dusttodawnpottery@gmail.com. ~