Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. When I approached the Throne of the Living God to offer my Praise, my thanks, and to make my requests known, I began to weep over where I’ve been and where I am today. I thought about the brokenness that has washed over my Life and I saw a clear Picture of how that brokenness shaped me for my Service to Him today. When God Decides to do a deeper Work in our Lives, Brokenness is always part of the Process, so He’ll bring Circumstances to drive us to our knees. BUT God doesn’t force us to a place of Brokenness…and we can’t force our way there on our own…we CHOOSE to Surrender to it instead. What an Amazing God I serve who Loves me enough to Grow me to a place where I can see the Power behind the Brokenness. Isn’t that the way you see it, too?

It’s mind-boggling to consider the brokenness people go through without ever reaching that point of Surrendering to Him by choice. Oh, plenty of people will Proclaim that God saw them through a tough time – or that He was always there – but very few ever PROCLAIM that they reached the absolute end of themselves and that they willingly Surrendered to the God of all Creation for a Purpose much greater than themselves. We’re more inclined to brag about being “survivors” instead of Proclaimers of Victory…because of the Brokenness, NOT despite it. Paul had to be led to Brokenness on the road to Damascus…that place where we stop excusing or rationalizing…that place where we KNOW He is EVERYTHING and we Surrender our all to Him. Joseph had to be taken to that place when He was thrown into a pit and left to die. Jacob had to be taken to Brokenness when He left his homeland a destitute and needy man. Every single beautiful Vessel we read about in His Word – every beautiful Vessel we’re fortunate enough to meet in this Journey of Life, has reached the place of Brokenness, and they CHOSE to Surrender. This is where Powerful Testimonies and rich Work for the Lord are found.

If I had to guess the reason WHY so many people have been led to Brokenness and yet REFUSE to be Broken for the Lord, I’d say it’s P R I D E. We would rather take credit for how strong we are than take credit for how Broken we have become in the Process. We’d rather hold onto the reins as we desperately try to control our lives than to drop those reins in the dust and Confess that we are absolutely Powerless without Him. We’d rather tell Him what we want the future to look like than to “blindly” Trust Him with it…and to be Excited without even knowing the Details. We’d rather move on from the Brokenness and live as if it never happened than to shout from the Mountaintops about the God who loves us enough to Break us. Brokenness is how He Builds His Vessels – but His people ALWAYS choose to be broken OR they blow it off as merely a “tough time.” Brokenness is where Powerful Testimonies are threaded together in His Name. Brokenness is where Strong Vessels are shaped and ministries are born. The Greatest Work of our Lord comes through His people WILLING to be Broken and then built back into something Beautiful. This is the Key to being Refined for the King, and yet, P R I D E keeps so many people from shamelessly sharing the Work of the Lord in their lives.

I wouldn’t trade the Brokenness experience in my Journey for anything in the world, and I’m glad I Surrendered my all to Him. When I share pieces of my life…and it’s been a wild one…sometimes people are shocked that I share without shame as if it has no Purpose now that it’s in the past. But Jesus paid the Price for my sin and my shame, so why would I still be carrying it around? Jesus Christ allowed me to be Broken to Glorify Himself! He Knew before the foundations of the earth that One Day I would crawl out of the valley and climb to the mountaintop to PRAISE HIS Holy Name to the world. Pride went out the window a long time ago when I made the choice to be Broken so that I could be Built back up into a Usable Vessel for the Lord Jesus Christ. I KNOW that there is “no good thing in me apart from Him,” and I KNOW that I am absolutely Powerless on my own. Freedom, Love, Joy, Peace, Strength, and Victory are ALL the result of having been taken to the breaking point and CHOOSING to be Broken.

What about you?