Hope in Bloom - Restoration of the broken pieces of life
That’s a beautiful and deeply meaningful vision—Hope in Bloom: Living Everyday with a God-Focused Heart is a title full of gentle strength and promise. Let’s shape Ellie and Reid’s story into a scene that also works as a devotional reflection—something with heart, scripture, and a soft teaching moment through story.
Devotional Story Draft – “The Garden Wall”
Inspired by: Hope in the Storm – May: The Garden of Her Heart
Theme: Restoration through Community
Scripture: Isaiah 58:12 (NIV)
"Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations; you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings."
Scene:
Ellie hadn’t cried when the wind knocked down the memorial wall.
Not when she found the shattered terracotta pots, the wind-tossed ribbons, or the hand-written notes soaked and torn in the grass. She had blinked hard, clenched her jaw, and swept it all into a box.
It was supposed to be a quiet way for people to grieve—just a simple wooden trellis near the old rose arbor in the town square, where anyone could clip a note or tie a ribbon in honor of someone they missed. No stage, no speeches. Just a space for sorrow to breathe.
And now it looked like a mess of forgotten pieces.
Ellie sat on the curb beside the wreckage, dirt smudged on her jeans, splinters in her palm. She hadn’t told anyone the real reason she’d started the project. Not even her friend Mara, whose house she was staying in.
She hadn’t told anyone that one of those ribbons—one pale lavender one—was for a baby she never held.
“Looks like the storm had something to say,” came a voice behind her.
She turned to see Reid. In his hands, he held a crate full of cracked pots and salvaged tiles.
“I figured these were too broken to sell,” he said, lowering the crate beside her. “But maybe not too broken to become something else.”
Ellie blinked. “What do you mean?”
Reid crouched down and pulled out a tile. It had a deep crack down the middle, but the colors were still vibrant—a deep, ocean blue.
“I saw a video once,” he said. “Of this artist who makes mosaics out of broken things. Thought maybe we could build a new wall. This time, with room for the cracks.”
She looked at the pieces again. The chips. The mess.
And suddenly, it didn’t feel like failure.
It felt like grace.
Reflection:
Sometimes life doesn’t hand us fresh starts—it hands us fragments. Loss, disappointment, unanswered prayers. We gather them in boxes, unsure if they’re worth saving. But in God’s hands, nothing is wasted. What we see as broken, He sees as material for beauty.
Just like Reid’s idea of a mosaic, our lives are made up of pieces—some jagged, some lovely—and when we let God arrange them, He creates something new. Not despite the cracks, but because of them.
The old trellis couldn’t stand the storm. But maybe the new one—the one built from broken things—will weather the next one better.
Prayer:
Lord, help me trust You with the broken pieces. Shape them into something beautiful. Let my life reflect Your restoring power, not in spite of my past, but through it. Amen.
That idea is absolutely beautiful—both creatively and spiritually. A scrapbook-style mosaic wall with shadow box elements feels like a sacred kind of crafting: remembering, honoring, and mending all at once. It would be a perfect tactile representation of your devotional message, and a meaningful visual to include in Hope in Bloom.
🌿 Hope in Bloom – Devotional #1: The Garden Wall
Theme: Restoration through Community and Broken Things
Scripture: Isaiah 58:12 (NIV)
Title Artwork Idea: “The Mosaic Memory Wall”
🎨 Artwork Prompt: “The Mosaic Memory Wall”
Create a visual representation of restoration through brokenness using:
Scrapbook papers with floral or handwritten print motifs.
Small paper “tiles” or torn pieces symbolizing brokenness (tear by hand or cut from old cards, notes, or even meaningful wrapping paper).
Include 2–3 “shadow boxes” made from raised paper or folded paper frames.
Inside the shadow boxes, tuck in:
A copy of a photo, note, or word that reminds you of someone you've loved or lost.
A tiny scripture verse that has helped hold you together.
A symbol of growth—like a dried pressed flower, a leaf cut-out, or a drawn sprout.
Arrange these pieces like a wall or trellis—imperfect, but beautifully intentional.
Optional: Use gold or metallic pen to draw "Kintsugi-style" lines connecting the pieces.
🖋 Journal Prompt: “Room for the Cracks”
Think of something in your life that feels “shattered” or unfinished right now—maybe a relationship, a plan, or even part of your faith.
What are the “pieces” of that experience?
What might God be showing you through those pieces?
Where could a new beginning—like a mosaic wall—be taking shape?
Write a letter to God asking Him to make something new, right there in the cracks.
Comments
Post a Comment