rebuild – KARLA LEES

broken to life

April 11, 2015 Karla Lees

He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. 1 Peter 2:24 ESV

Jesus died for the broken.

Those who were broken in ways beyond just what can seen:

broken in spirit
broken-hearted
broken in the mind,
broken in body.

But also for those who are:

broken because of their sin.

I find the weight of my own sin can sometimes break me in ways i never expected.

Selfishness can lead to isolation and loneliness, and down the path to choosing more things which keep that spiral of me swirling down and out of control.

And i need to be reminded: Jesus came for the broken.

There is one more type of broken that Jesus covered with His brokenness:

those who need taming

The strong willed ones (like moi) who need to be broken in order to submit.

We all are broken, or need to be broken depending on the circumstances.

I tend to find other people’s sins towards me break me
I need to be broken based on my own sins & bad choices

That is why Jesus died so painfully on the cross.

He chose to be broken so He can bring hope to the broken, no matter what has broken us.

He chose to rise again to show He can bring life to the dead, the places within us we think are beyond hope, beyond healing.

He chose to die so we could live.

Because it is He who brings us back to life.

Our part?

To come with our brokenness and sin, and ask for His help.

His part?

The part He loves?

To answer our cry.
To touch us with His hands.
To infuse us with his love.
To rebirth life into our dry bones.
To make us new in ways we could not imagine on the other side of our brokenness.
To give wings to our hope.

Ready for new life?

It doesn’t matter if or how you are broken, the Master Carpenter is more than able to take our broken pieces and make us anew!

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. Psalm 34:18

unfixed

August 26, 2014August 27, 2014 Karla Lees

I’m unfixed. And the truth is, that’s where God meets me – in the mess of my life, in the unfixedness, in the brokenness.

Mike Yaconelli

I am broken.
and I know it.

I need putting back together again
from my long fall off the wall
I hid behind for so long.

Parts of me have shattered
almost completely.

It is a major undertaking to proceed
with my reconstruction,
renovation,
being put back together again.

But God, He is up for the task.

You see,
much of what was broken
needed to be smashed
so He can replace the faulty parts
(the old movie reels, the self sufficiency, pride, the desire to be in control)
with updated top of the line ones, that depend on His strength
to fuel them (faith, hope, joy, love, grace, mercy, kindness, forgiveness, patience)

There was some faulty wiring
needing to be ripped out
so He could reconnect the proper
thought processes
and reattach me to His Spirit
for instant notifications.
They may require quiet and concentration to hear them,
but this part of the rebuild
is critical before the next step.

A new heart.
One that will beat with His heart.
In tune with how He is feeling,
sensing His compassion for those around me,
His love for them, and me.

Open heart surgery that cuts away into our very soul.
Enabling the spirit within, that eternal precious spark in each of His children, to shine through us once again.

This season of brokenness
has been very humbling,
deeply painful,
yet
tremendously hope building
at the same time.

You see,
God isn’t finished with me yet.

His goal is to make me,
shape me,
build me,
put me back together
to be the me He designed me to be.

My goal is to not get in His way,
and give Him free reign.

There is a beauty to be found in allowing God to touch us in these places of brokenness.

Somehow His glory is revealed more clearly when we are broken for His purposes.

The enemy may try to play havoc with your life.

Stop listening to his depressing lies.

God IS in control,
even when you can’t see it.
He will restore,
even when you can’t feel it.
He will never leave you,
even when you can’t sense Him.

If you, like me, are in this period of brokenness beyond anything you can imagine, take comfort in knowing God knows what the end result is He desires to see us become.

He will fix us up,
put us back together again,
and be with us
every step of the way.

We don’t need to fear being broken
when we know God is in control.
His plans will come to pass
in our lives
when we allow Him to be our
strength & guide.

wrecking ball

July 22, 2014July 22, 2014 Karla Lees

Try how you might,
runaway,
don’t you know
you are actually
running
towards Him?

He knew you would run
and so He planned
to use the path you chose
to draw you in,
in to His Presence.

When you come into
his courts
and into His Presence
you cannot help but be
changed.

His Presence
is like a wrecking ball…

When you run to Him
He wrecks you
in the exact places
needing to be broken…

Then He lovingly rebuilds
us the way
we were meant to be…

Restoring us to our intended design.

Loving us back to life.

Setting us
on the pathway
to walk beside Him

Made whole
by the majestic Creator

Set free from our cage
by the triumphant Savior

Guided in life
by the precious whispers of the Spirit

The wrecking ball
is controlled on purpose
in His plan for us.

Run run as fast as you want
His love will continue to call to your heart
and woo you home,
runaway.