When I was on my mission, one of my companions was going through a difficult time. Because of how close one feels to the Savior when serving Him full time, he/she is also painfully aware of his/her inadequacies. I battled that myself a short time after she did. At the time, I had recently heard a song called "Broken" by Kenneth Cope that I wanted her to hear. Because she is Brazilian, I tried to translate the lyrics in my 7-month old Portuguese. I highly doubt it was accurate, but hopefully she got the message. Above is a video with some beautiful pictures and artwork I found online. Below are the lyrics.
Broken clouds give rain
Broken soil grows grain
Broken bread feeds man for one more day
Broken storms yield light
The break of day heals night
Broken pride turns blindness into sight
Broken souls that need His mending
Broken hearts for offering
Could it be that God loves broken things?
Broken chains set free
Broken swords bring peace
Broken walls make friends of you and me
To break the ranks of sin
To break the news of Him
To put on Christ till His name feels broken in
Broken souls that need His mending
Broken hearts for offering
I believe that God loves broken things
And yet our broken faith, our broken promises
Sent love to the cross
And still, that broken flesh, that broken heart of His
Offers us such grace and mercy
Covers us with love undeserving
This broken soul that cries for mending
This broken heart for offering
I'm convinced that God loves broken me
Praise His name, my God loves broken things.
I was reminded of that song again today. Our inadequacies do not define who we are. We lived before we came here and we chose to come to earth and follow our Savior Jesus Christ. That same spirit that wanted so much to choose goodness and light still exists within each one of us. That is who we are. Yes, we make mistakes; we sometimes lose our way; and our natural bodies are at times overcome by temptation. It is easy to feel we are unworthy of being in His presence again some day.
But the beauty of the gospel is this: our great weaknesses and inadequacies eventually bring us back to Him. We cannot arrive home until we become purified and refined. We are only purified through our Savior. And our mistakes lead us to Christ for mercy. Our pain allows us to know Him. And when we do, we grow in understanding and arrive one step closer to His presence.
This whole process isn't easy. No one makes it through this life without intense pain, hopelessness, mistakes, and many moments of regret. But the Lord is always there to help us come out of all those moments stronger. I know this for myself.
2 Nephi 4:17 Nevertheless, notwithstanding the great goodness of the Lord, in showing me his great and marvelous works, my heart exclaimeth: O wretched man that I am! Yea, my heart sorroweth because of my flesh; my soul grieveth because of mine iniquities.
19 And when I desire to rejoice, my heart groaneth because of my sins; nevertheless, I know in whom I have trusted.
1 Corinthians 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is
faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able;
but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be
able to bear it.
1 Nephi 3:7 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, said unto my father: I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them.
Mosiah 27:29 My soul hath been redeemed from the gall of bitterness and bonds of iniquity. I was in the darkest abyss; but now I behold the marvelous light of God. My soul was racked with eternal torment; but I am snatched, and my soul is pained no more.
