Monuments Men...

          I recently read about the Monuments Men, a group of approximately 345 men and women from fourteen nations who, during World War II,  took it upon themselves to save precious cultural works of art in danger of being destroyed by the war or stolen by Adolf Hitler and the Nazis. These were museum directors, curators, architects, educators whose common goal was to locate and return said pieces. 
         One such member stood in front of a chateau listed as a protected monument. It had been set on fire and three of its walls knocked down. It was barely standing. It didn't seem worth fighting for. But Second Lieutenant Rorimer stood in front of that ravaged structure and refused to move even as a bulldozer approached to destroy the remaining structure. Although ordered to move by a commanding officer, he did not back down and succeeded in saving the building.
          Sometimes we may be "ravaged by war", broken and ruined. There doesn't seem much left of us worth saving. Yet, Jesus, just like the Monument Man who stood in front of a bulldozer ready to demolish what was left of a precious monument, Jesus will defend us, fight for us, love us. He is not moved by how broken we are. In fact, He knows that our brokenness is a most powerful testimony to reach many. If we are perfect we cannot relate to those who are broken and ruined. We have no story to share, we have no testimony to tell. But our imperfections, our brokenness, speak louder than any perfection can and ironically, they bring healing and hope to a lost and dying world.
         After spending a few years away from God during my late teens, I returned to Him. My heart had been broken too many times by my own foolish choices and decisions. I needed serious healing and encouragement. I couldn't and didn't even see myself as useful. I was broken and needed a very loving and understanding and merciful Heavenly Daddy to soothe and heal all the pain. God did not let me down. He comforted, He healed, He restored me. And when I surrendered myself completely to Him, He filled me with His Holy Spirit and began using me in ways that I would never have imagined. I became heavily involved in church life and found myself in the very loving care of a God who was and is bigger than any mistake I could have made, way bigger than any hurt I could have endured. In fact, God did what neither I nor any one else could have done - He made me into a precious vessel fit for His use. Imagine, a big, wonderful God using broken, bruised and used me! Only God!
          That's what God does with our hurt and pain and brokenness when we give it to Him and trust Him to do something wonderful with it. He turns it into something beautiful, priceless, worth fighting for. It's what our God does. It's His specialty!

---