“Oh my! I love your earrings!” exclaimed a lady I met at a friend’s wedding recently. “Is this what you do for a living?” I was flattered, but explained that I made these asymmetrical earrings simply by throwing together pieces from a broken bracelet and odd earrings that were too pretty to chuck away.

When I used to have more time to indulge in creative endeavours, I used to love making jewelry out of mismatched, broken and odd pieces. This was way before asymmetric earrings were trending. I loved recycling and was excited by the fact that those designs would be unique and unexpected.

Similarly, God can use the broken pieces of our lives to recreate something beautiful and extraordinary. He is not the source of our pain, but He never wastes our aches, struggles or challenges. Most of mine have been my own fault, but whenever I repent, God starts the restoration and transformation process in me. Although it’s never pleasant to go through troubles in life, I have found again and again, that these undesirable experiences become blessings and encouragements for others who may be going through similar journeys.

God is the best in the restoration business. That’s what the Book of Job is all about, and it’s what Jesus is all about – restoring mankind to its Maker.

If this is what I can do with some defective pieces of jewelry, imagine what God could do with your life!