A book I was reading mentioned a form of Japanese pottery repair called kintsugi. This means “golden joinery” or “golden repairs” and it is the art of fixing broken pottery by mending the broken parts back together with a lacquer mixed with gold or silver powder. In this practice, you recognize that, when a beautiful thing is broken, that is part of its history and not something that needs to be hidden or disguised.
Fascinated by this idea, I looked up images of pottery that had been repaired using this method. Hundreds of beautiful delicate bowls, cups, and plates appeared on my screen, each one with a uniquely unplanned pattern of gold visible across its surface. The broken items had become not only more interesting and more captivating to look at, but also more valuable with their gold additions.
When looking at a broken plate with kintsugi in mind, you don’t think, “Ah, now the plate is unsightly and useless!” No, you think, “This plate has gone through an experience that will mark it, but beautifully. And it will become even more valuable, more remarkable, and more precious because of it.”
Researching and understanding more about kintsugi inspired me greatly because I am acutely aware of how imperfect I am. I need no convincing to believe the Bible’s description of my heart as “deceitful above all things” (Jeremiah 17:9). But now, I like to think of God performing some kintsugi on me, taking all my cracks and flaws and mending them to form a pattern that exceeds anything that could have existed without those broken lines.
If we let Him, God can use our imperfections to make something truly stunning out of what would have been discarded.
Don’t fear the blemishes. They can be opportunities for the Lord to come in and make golden repairs in your life.