“And we know that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose.” – Romans 8:28, BSB
A House of Broken Pieces:
There is a small town in France called Chartres. People flock there to see its colossal cathedral with its majestic stained-glass rose windows. It is truly a wonder.
High upon a hill that overlooks the monumental Chartres Cathedral sits a lone, little house. Not many would think or know to go there, and it’s a trek to get there in the first place. The little house is an obscure folk art site called La Maison Picassiette, The House of Millions of Pieces. Its owner was Raymond Isadore. One day back in 1938, he found broken pieces of glass, pottery and bottle caps in a nearby field that someone threw away. He picked up the broken pieces and saw beauty in them. He decided to keep them to decorate his little house and made a simple mosaic in his garden.
Raymond continued collecting all the abandoned pieces he could find. Soon, the whole exterior of his home was a brilliant mosaic of colorful pieces others threw away because they could see no value in what they deemed “trash.” The interior became covered with the little shimmering pieces too, even down to the furniture. He also created a chapel depicting images of Jesus and a replica of Chartres Cathedral and its surrounding town — his vantage-point from his beloved hilltop house. He continued adding to his mosaic home until he died in 1964.
Monsieur Isadore had no intention to be known for the work of art he created. It was an act of love and devotion to take broken things and give them a home; in fact, those broken pieces are what made his home. To be there is an overwhelmingly emotional experience, surrounded by millions of tiny broken pieces that somehow perfectly come together to form a beautiful and unique “whole,” each one individually, lovingly and intentionally placed by its creator.
If one man can take broken pieces that others discarded as trash and make them whole as a repurposed work of art, think about what our Creator can do with us. We all have broken parts, some maybe more than others, because we live in a broken world. Some of us feel broken beyond repair and wonder if we’ll ever be able to put the pieces back together again. Will I ever be the same as before? Will I ever be loved? Will I ever get better? Does anyone care? Do any of these questions sound familiar? You are not alone.
Pieces to Peace:
Remember that Jesus is in the business of making beauty out of brokenness. During His ministry on Earth, He sought out the sickest of the sick, the poorest of the poor and the broken beyond repair. He healed them, and maybe they didn’t come out the same as they were before, but even better. He knows how to use the cracks, the misshapen fragments and the sharp edges for a greater purpose even if we don’t see how these jagged shards could fit so smoothly into the Master Plan at the time. As the Master Artist, He knows exactly how to reorder the pieces into a pattern of wholeness, just like a mosaic.
Like Raymond Isadore’s Picassiette House, the greatest beauty is often found in the unknown, unseen, hidden — and yes — broken people and places. Jesus is seeking to make us whole through His peace. Next time you feel broken into a million pieces, remember that God sees and loves you just as you are and has a place and purpose for you. You are His creation, a one-of-a-kind work of art. He will make something beautiful out of any pain you may have experienced, piece by piece.
“Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” – John 14:27, NIV
Written by Jaclyn King
