Last Time I Checked, Broken Crayons Still Color

You’ve been hurt, you’ve been trying to forget what happened. You went through a roller coaster of emotions and you find yourself broken. Yes, if there's one word to describe what happened to you after you were dumped, mistreated or offended for no clear, justifiable reason, it will be the word BROKEN. 

Now you don't know what to do. You no longer have the drive to pursue the things you were once passionate about. Everything seems too dim now. All you have is the feeling that you were once whole but now shattered.

But you are trying to pick yourself together. You want to be made whole again and move forward. You may not have the drive yet but you continue to convince yourself that your life doesn't have to end with this. There's more to life than just painful experiences. You still want to do the things that make you happy and reach the goals you have once set aside.

And I have this word for you: last time I checked, broken crayons still color. Likewise, as you pick up your broken pieces, you remember that you are still meant to conquer great things.

As you take that baby steps towards emotional healing, try to integrate these practical suggestions for you to appreciate that even in the worst of times, you can still open your eyes and find beauty and purpose in your pain.

Journal your experience and all the important learnings.

Pain is always an unwelcomed teacher. Yes, it is unwelcome in our life but it offers us valuable teachings necessary for our spiritual and emotional growth. Open your eyes and ears for these lessons, catch them and record them in a journal, not to rehearse the pain but to discover yourself – how strong are you, how capable of forgiving are you and how God helped you through especially in times when all you want to do is to surrender.

Rekindle friendships

When in pain, we often find ourselves with two options: to be alone or to process the pain with others. There are benefits in solitude, but there are greater benefit when we choose to journey with others who care for us. Enjoy their company, rekindle the joy of accountability and rediscover yourself. Laugh with them, cry with them, and have your bucket list checked with them. You will find out that brokenness is indeed a phase, a temporary stopover.

Minister to people

Yes, even in your trying times you can shell out inspiration to people. People may be impressed with achievements and strength but what gives them hope are people who, in spite of weakness and failures, still manage to stand after a hard fall. No one’s more effective to reach out and give advice to those who are hurting than people who went through the same dark, muddy road as they are. Let your place of misery be your area of ministry.

Choose to forgive

This is hard and perhaps some will say that this is uncalled for but the joy of forgiveness is reserved only to those who are willing to offer it to their offender. Nothing is special when a person harbors resentment, but when a person chooses to forgive, it is a mark of courage and a testament that “I am a strong person and I choose not to be dragged by my past”. Your bright future awaits, don’t let it be overshadowed by your regrets, failures, and mistakes.

You can still be used by God even in the midst of pain. He doesn’t look for perfection, He does not need strength. What he desires is a willing vessel ready to be empowered to inspire and strengthen others.

Nobody escapes being wounded. We are all wounded people, whether physically, emotionally, mentally or spiritually. The main question is not, “How can we hide our wounds? So we don’t have to be embarrassed, but “How can we put our woundedness in the service of others?” When our wounds cease to be a source of shame, and become a source of healing, we have become wounded healers. – Henri Nouwen