A Journey to Being Mended

I mentioned briefly in my last post that one of my goals/priorities in the new year was to start a Bible study. Over the past year, God has been teaching me the blessing of transparency. I use the word blessing because transparency is something that doesn't come easy for me, and I find that when I do something particularly difficult that God asks of me, is when I am most blessed. God continually teaches me more about himself every single day, sometimes in ways so unexpected. The biggest theme in my life over the past two years has been the incredible depth and vastness of God's love. As I have mentioned in many of my posts, the prayer that I have for my own life is that I would be able to be used by God to radiate his love. One thing especially that I have come to understand is that the best way to show love is through transparency. As I prayed about my Bible study, wondering what I would even do it on, God brought something to my attention. I am broken. That is something I knew of course, but would I did not realize is that transparency has so much to do with brokenness. The dictionary definition for the word transparent is this: "allowing light to pass through so that objects behind can be distinctly seen."  This definition is very literal of how we would view something that is transparent. But, it really made me think. My life is full of brokenness, cracks and gaps that something is going to leak/pour through. That something is what is behind all of my motives, my thoughts, my actions, everything about what I do. I want to be transparent in a way that God is that "object" behind me, that He is the light that pours through all of the cracks and gaps of my broken life. Transparency has a completely new meaning to me. As I thought about this new meaning of transparency, I tried to think of a study that would embrace this new concept that God is teaching me. I came up with the book Mended by Angie Smith. The book is about God mending the broken pieces of life and using the mended piece as a vessel that his glory can shine through. It was perfect, all about transparency! A small group of girls have joined me in starting this journey to being mended and transparent.  Last night was our first night meeting together. We just had an introduction to the book and I shared my thoughts on what I hoped would come from this "journey." They were something along these lines:

• We are all broken in many different ways. (Insecurities, past, pain, confusion, worry, ect.)
• I want this Bible study to be a place where we can share our brokenness. 
• God's grace is what mends us. Not to a whole and perfect place, but to a place of humble transparency and dependence. 
• Even though it's difficult to be transparent, I think God uses transparency to bring understanding and healing in our lives, as well as others. 
• My prayer is that God will use this book and His Word to draw us closer to Him and that He will mend us and teach us to use our brokenness for His glory.

I am so excited to see what God has for me and these girls through this study, and I can't wait to share the things God teaches me. 
For the first week this is what I challenged the girls and myself to do:

• Read the chapter (then read it again)
• Keep a journal to track your thoughts/what God teaches you
• Encourage yourself with Godly music as you study His word (Broken Vessels/Amazing Grace by Hillsong is a fitting choice)
• Cover the first page of your journal in all of your brokenness (insecurities, pains, struggles, past, worries, confusion, etc.) so that as we journey through this study, we can clearly see the ways that God is mending our brokenness. 

To whoever reads this post, I challenge you to do the same. If your desire is to be transparent, take this journey with us. Do it on your own, with a friend, or friends. I would love know what God teaches you. Friends, be mended!