Broken into Beautiful (a poem)

I never knew a broken heart could be a beautiful thing
Until I realized it drew me closer to You.

If my heart was never broken, would I feel a need for You?
If the lies had not been spoken, would I long to hear the truth?

I wouldn’t have felt Your healing touch
If the pieces hadn’t been shattered.
I wouldn’t have known how You loved me so much
If the lost one hadn’t been gathered.

I never knew a broken heart could be a beautiful thing
Until I realized Your heart was broken too.

You are the one whose heart was broken first
Over the hurt of this fractured world.

And so You came to bear our pain,
To be broken and crushed under the weight of our shame.
All of our sins You carried away,
Forever forgotten under crimson streams of grace.

I never knew a broken heart could be a beautiful thing
Until I realized it was a burden from You.

You never called us to live with unscarred hearts
In a battered world sin has torn apart.

You didn’t call us to walk this road alone.
You promised that You would never leave us.
But often Your kindness and compassion are shown
Through the hearts of those You place near us.

When I felt the hurt I saw in others’ eyes, 
I remembered the burden You have called us to bear.
When I saw the pain beneath the disguise,
I thought of the healing You have called us to share.

And then I knew that a broken heart could be a beautiful thing,
Drawing us to the Healer whose heart breaks until all is made new.