Worldview

Stained Glass Windows

Look at the nearest window to you. Looks nice, right? It lets light in, does the job. There are probably a few smudges, cleaning it makes it look a bit nicer.

What if a kid threw a rock at it and cracked it? What if someone took a hammer to it and shattered it? What would you think of it then? It would be broken. But would it be useless?

What if that window belonged to an expert Creator, and He allowed that window to be cracked, shattered, and broken with no hope of repair so He could use it to create a masterpiece?

I believe that we are like windows. We start out whole, with a few smudges, but do the job. Then we're cleaned, cracked, broken, and eventually shattered with no hope of ever getting back to who we used to be.

Then our Creator takes the shards, breaks them down a bit more to get them in exactly the shape He wants them to be in, and begins to make a masterpiece. A stained glass window.

Have you ever seen a stained glass window that's all one color, though? I certainly haven't. 

Each of us starts out as one color. Maybe red. Maybe yellow. Maybe blue. Maybe green. Maybe purple. Maybe magenta. Whatever the color, we all start out as one color, and we all start out a different shade than anyone else. 

Then the Creator takes "broken" pieces from many different colors, and adds them to your pieces to create a more beautiful design. 

Just as the people we meet, whether for better or for worse, become a part of us. Sometimes they leave more of their color with us, sometimes they leave less. And with them they take pieces of us. So our color can be part of their design too. 

Throughout our whole lives, we are constantly being broken down, rearranged, and pieced together. No matter how little sense it makes to us, the Creator has had a beautiful plan from the beginning, far beyond anything we could imagine. 

And when the window is finished, when all the pieces have been put together, we're taken for a final cleaning before being placed in our final resting place with all the other stained glass masterpieces.

So when you look at yourself and see cracks, broken pieces, even if you're completely shattered. You're not useless. You're just unfinished. You as you are are beautiful, and in a process that is making you more beautiful every moment. And every crack in you is a detail that makes the masterpiece that is you even more beautiful. Everything will be restored. It will just take time. All will happen according to the Creator's plan.

And also, don't compare yourself to others. Each masterpiece is unique, but each is just as beautiful as all the others. And all are at different levels. Some don't take as long to make, but are still just as wonderful. Some are more detailed or less detailed, but again all are infinitely beautiful. And those that are seemingly "behind" the rest are exactly where they need to be, according to the unique and perfect plan for them. 

You are beautiful. No matter your wounds, no matter your scars, no matter you pain, no matter your missing pieces, no matter your rough edges, no matter your differences. No matter how cracked or broken or shattered or hurt you are. You are beautiful and perfect. Because you are under the care of the Creator, who loves you and has a perfect plan for you.

Ask a child to draw something or do an art project. It may look strange to you, but they will love it and be extremely proud of it. 

The good news is that our Creator isn't a child. He is a highly experienced expert. But the point stands. No matter what anyone else thinks of you, our Creator sees you as perfect, and loves you. Simply for the fact that He made you exactly how He wants you to be. 

Worth is defined as what someone is willing to pay. And our Creator was willing to pay an infinite price for each of us. So each of us is infinitely valuable. And because that price does not change, neither can our worth no matter what. No matter how worthless someone may tell you you are. No matter how worthless you may feel you are. You are infinitely valuable, and absolutely nothing can change that.