Golden Plates

Golden Plates

Last April, seven of us from Sanctioned Love went to the coast to pray. We were praying about an event we were going to do in October. It was an awesome weekend full of seeking, listening, and preparing. One of the prayers I prayed came to me with a picture and an idea. It had lots of powerful revelations woven into it. Revelations of God and His love for us.

I saw a broken vessel that had been put back together by an ancient art form the Japanese use. It’s called Kintsugi or Decoupage. This old art form is a method that is used to restore the value of a favored broken pot, bowl, cup, or plate. This is done by repairing the cracks with flakes of pure gold. The scars of the broken vessel are no longer signs of destruction but become beautiful veins filled with the radiant glow of gold. This repaired vessel becomes more unique, more valuable, and even stronger than it was originally.

Each piece was chosen and hand-selected by the artist rather than discarded or tossed into a recycling bin. Every pot, bowl, cup, or plate that is re-stored becomes a sign of the artist’s investments, the investments of his time, labor, energy, and financial costs. But the artist does not mind because he takes delight in the new masterpiece he is creating. Each piece is unique, making it more interesting and beautiful to behold.

As a team, we all decided that this prayer needed to be shared and shown to the individuals that would be attending the event by displaying an example of what a Decoupage piece looks

like. I knew then that I was going to be knee-deep into a huge project. I also knew I might not be able to do this ancient art form exactly like they do in Japan, but I believed I could try, and at least, get the truth of its meaning across to them. So off to Goodwill and the craft store I went.

First, I would need to find some small plates with different designs, ones I could break. I would also need a good bonding agent, and of course, lots and lots of gold glitter.

When I got home, I set up a craft station on my old box freezer and went to work. It took me several weeks to complete this project, much to the frustration of my husband. The gold glitter made its way onto almost everything, from the floors to his clothes and even onto the kitchen counters. It seemed to multiply as the days went by, but to me, it was great fun and well worth the mess in the end.

    The process went something like this:

·         First, I selected a plate, then set it upside down and covered it with a towel.

·         Secord, I took my hammer and gave it a good whack right at the center.

·         Third, I carefully removed the towel to reveal the broken pieces.

·         Fourth, I took one small broken piece at a time and applied the bonding agent. The time-consuming part was standing there minutes on end without moving a muscle until the two broken pieces became one. Then the third piece was bonded, and then the fourth. You got the idea.

·         Fifth, I traced the cracks with glue, poured the messy glitter all over it, waited a few seconds, and then blew the excess glitter off. (This was probably when the glitter did its traveling.)

·         Sixth, I used gold paint and stickers I had collected to give each plate a different look. This, for me this was the best part of the process. I got to enjoy the creativity of designing the uniqueness of each dish.

I began to notice that each plate had meaning, and I could feel the love of God wash over me as I worked with Him on this project. Even though I knew it would all come out great, I was a little undone by how blessed I felt. I loved listening for His voice and watching how the plate would end up saying something wonderful and loving. But it was not all peaches and cream! I could feel the pain of the hammer fracturing the small plates and had the “knowing” that it was the Lord who was showing me how the pain, abuse, addiction, rejection, and abandonment were like the severe blows I had made. The world’s hard hammer is designed to hit in just the right spot to bring its fracturing into our lives. Yes, I, too, have known some of these troubled hardships. But even though I could still hear the smack of the hammer on the plates, God wanted me to concentrate on the beauty of how He so lovingly puts us back together. The only requirement is we have to be willing and allow Him access.

Our God is not worried about brokenness because He is in the repair business. His specialty is to take our brokenness and make something beautiful out of it by His love and healing power.

I do have a confession, though. While working on the project, some of the plates were difficult to put back together so, I thought I would just toss them and go on to the next plate. I heard the Lord pressing me with a solid “No.” He was saying, “No, Melissa, I need you to be more creative and find a way to use the broken pieces because that is what I always do. I am the Lord, and I don’t let anything be wasted. Remember, not one hardship goes unnoticed by me”. So, I didn’t throw any of those plates out. I used each shattered plate, knowing they were precious to Jesus; each one having a significant meaning to the Lord. Oh, how He loves to make something beautiful out of you and me.

                 Psalms 147: 1-11

 Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!

    How beautiful it is to sing praises to our beautiful God,

    How delightful and how fitting.

2 God Almighty, builds up Jerusalem;

    he gathers up the outcasts and brings them home.

3 He heals the wounds of every shattered heart.

4 He sets his stars in place, calling them all by their names.

5 How great is our God!

    There’s absolutely nothing his power cannot accomplish,

    and he has unlimited understanding of everything.

6 God Almighty supports and strengthens the humble,

     but the ungodly will be brought down to the dust.

7 Sing out with songs of thanksgiving to the Lord!

    Let’s sing our praises with melodies overflowing!

8 He fills the sky with clouds, sending showers to water the earth

    so that the grass springs up on the mountain fields

    and the earth produces food for man.

9 All the birds and beasts who cry with hunger to him

    are fed from his hands.

10 His people don’t find security in strong horses,

    for horsepower is nothing to him.

    Manpower is even less impressive!

11 No the Lord Almighty delights in those who are devoted to him,

    those who wait for his tender embrace.

 Melissa Norris

Sanctioned Love