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Hello Bravehearted Beauties! It’s almost 4:00 on a Saturday afternoon and I’m still in my PJs. What to do? (A) Take a shower and do something productive (B) Shame myself for being lazy or (C) Photograph a few of my favorite rocks? I’m going with C. Beauty hunting just inside my own front door! You mean, you don’t photograph rocks in your PJs on a Saturday afternoon? Wink!
A repost of an old favorite:
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Hunting for heart rocks in Midcoast Maine is one of my favorite ways to spend a day. I could stroll the coast of a small island for as many hours as the sun would shine, watching the tide rise and fall and rise again, in hopes of someday finding the perfect heart rock. I used to think that meant one without cracks, jagged edges and asymmetrical shape.
But that perfect heart rock no longer appeals to me. Because it’s not the real deal. The only flawless heart is artificial. It sits polished and perfect on the shelf of some shop, made by machine rather than tossed and tumbled by cold, salty ocean waves crashing against a rocky coast.
And so it is with human hearts. There’s no such thing as perfect. All of our hearts are a little misshapen, cracked and broken by the reality of life. And that’s what makes them beautiful. And embracing your brokenness is what makes you brave. How on earth can we embrace our brokenness? Because it’s the very thing that gives our hearts the capacity to feel more deeply, live more fully and love more vulnerably.
As the great C.S. Lewis wrote:
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And from Thornton Wilder:
{You can listen to Wilder’s brilliant short story in this post.}
And from my own experience:
So this Valentine’s Day, if your heart feels more broken than bursting, I honor you. Because that brokenness is the very thing that will make life more beautiful. I know beauty and brokenness sound like two opposite ends of the spectrum, but I’m convinced that a rich, wholehearted life is all about embracing opposing emotions. This is where the magic happens!
And one final word to anyone in the middle of a breakdown: your breakthrough is on its way. The brokenness will give way to unimaginable beauty. How do I know this is coming for you? Because I’m standing on the other side of the most broken down year of my life, and the beauty is astounding!
Happy Valentine’s Day, Bravehearted Beauties!
P.S. One thing I’ll always remember on Valentine’s Day: the way my husband asked me to marry him. Ours hasn’t always been a storybook romance. In fact, there’s been a whole lot of hard, but we keep holding onto hope and fighting the good fight. And all that hard? I wouldn’t trade it for the beauty it’s forged in us.
A different song for your marriage:
Gracia @ Gracious Offering - Linsey, can I simply say Amen? Your words are true, and wise, and grace filled, and beautiful. Thank you. Warmly, Gracia