Tuesday, June 17, 2014

Thankful Tuesday: Lessons from a broken handphone


The other day, I dropped my handphone. And when I picked it up, I found that the back had shattered, and tiny slivers crumbled off whenever I handled my phone. I didn't dare to use it, for the fear that more pieces would break off. 

We had to attend our regular co-op the next day, so I needed to have my handphone with me. In the end, I managed to salvage the broken phone, patching it up with lots of washi tape. The thin strips of paper held the broken pieces together, and the phone was transformed with all that colour.


While I was repairing my phone, some of us were chatting on Facebook about how badly the week was going for us, and I shared about my patched up phone. A friend mentioned that it reminded her of "kintsukuroi", the art of repairing pottery with gold or silver lacquer, with the understanding that the piece is more beautiful from having been broken. She shared this post with us. 

Reading the post brought tears to my eyes, because it reminded me of how we are jars of clay. Jars that are easily broken, chipped, or cracked, as we go through each challenge life brings. I had spent one afternoon yelling at my oldest because he was left to do his own thing in the afternoon, and ended up leaving puddles of soap all over the house. I despaired at my impatience and  anger, and I wondered at both our brokenness. We all have cracks, but God lovingly pours out gold and patches us back up, and makes us better than we were before. The broken bits still show, because we are not perfect, but they can be held together by the glimmers of God's grace. God's power made perfect in our weakness.

And I am thankful. Thankful that a broken phone could teach me about kintsukuroi. Thankful that this ancient Japanese art form could speak so much about our God of grace. And thankful that I am a jar of clay that can be mended by our loving Father, to be made more beautiful with gold. 

What are you thankful for today?


Mum in the Making

5 comments:

  1. Thanks for the lovely sharing. I
    t reminded me of two souvenirs I broke and glued back piece by piece, a clay pottery noah's ark piece from Peru, and a candle holder from SF. I took the time cos they meant something to me... and it does look kinda special after being patched up, like how your phone cover looks so pretty!
    Also reminds me of the Christian Nozomi (Hope) Project by tsunami survivors in Japan...

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  2. Hi Justina, thanks for this beautiful sharing!

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  3. It's so lovely when beauty and grace shines through potentially bad situations :) hope your phone's safe again!

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  4. Thanks 4 yr post. Been reading yr blog and reminded by yr life that mine isnt perfect as a mother either. But its how we chose to learn and view the matter that changes it all. We r all broken & we r held by God's grace.

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  5. What a wondeful fix for a shattered phone. That's very creative and resourceful of you. I hope you can channel that new found creativity into something bigger. Hahaha! It's pretty cool how that creative urge started from a broken phone. The lesson you learned is really amazing. It's good to keep in touch with your spiritual side at all times. Thanks for sharing that! All the best! :)

    Clara Brooks @ TelcoWorld

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