MAY 5, 2023
Let me tell you a story.
There’s a vase in my house that is known for its value and use. It belongs to those who live there and is regularly filled and poured out to serve the family there. Unexpectedly, the vase is shattered, fallen out of its secure place, left on the floor sitting in a million pieces.
The owner of the vase sees the pieces on the floor and gets angry. “I am not cleaning this up! Get rid of this mess!”
In time, the vase learns how to repair itself in small ways. Ashamed that it is no longer useful, it longs to have the capacity again to pour itself out.
“It must do it itself, because I have my own things to do,” the owner says, slowly remembering how carelessly he handled it the day it was destroyed. “Aha! I will pay to have it fixed!” the owner says. “How much will it cost me?”
Believing it was within his budget, he lines up the workers to get the job done. But the efforts prove unfruitful and no one can remember how to put back pieces or what the vase originally was like.
“It looks like a few pieces are put back together, but this is all still a mess. I can’t bear the thought of remembering my mistake that night. I will get rid of this vase once and for all.”
The next day a visitor comes over and sees the broken vase still scattered on the floor. “Why is this vase lying here in this condition?” the visitor asks.
“This vase! This vase has proven so disappointing,” the owner states. “It jumped out of my hands one night and shattered itself all over the floor. Now, instead of putting itself back together, it just lays there as a constant reminder of failure and disappointment.”
“Did you consider what it would take to put it back together and have you even tried?” the visitor probed.
“Yes, I tried. I hired some workers to come in and do it but they only got so far and it all fell apart again. And I’m not going to keep giving so much to repair something that’s worth only so much.”
“How much do you think it is worth?” the visitor asked.
“Oh, maybe a couple thousand dollars. Am I right?”
The visitor laughed. “I think you have mistaken the value of what you have had in your home this whole time,” he said. “This vase has no price tag. In fact, you would be foolish to sell it now because it is worth more than anything anyone could pay you.”
“What?” the owner said. “That’s clearly not true. Look at it. It is shattered in pieces and plus it is just a reminder of horrible things.”
“Ah yes. A true confirmation of its worth,” the visitor stated, firmly looking him in the eye. “I’ve seen this before, but few will listen and heed me. This vase is priceless. If you stoop down and study the shards and pieces, taking the care that’s required now, I can absolutely guarantee you will be the wealthiest and most successful man in the world!”
“Nonsense,” said the owner. “That will cost me way more than its worth.”
“I promise you it won’t. The value is in the process. And the end result will be far more than you could imagine. It’s your choice. If you want the wealth, you will do it,” he ended.
The owner considered long and hard, so very tempted to sweep it up and throw it away for good.
Unable to shake the curiosity and intrigue, he finally agreed, “I will give it a try.'
And off he went. Giving his time and attention, he slowly began putting back pieces of the broken vase. At each new milestone, the owner would glance at his vase and consider it, slowly noticing its value and longing for its fullness once again. Creativity soared and passion exploded in him! Before he knew it, it was finally complete.
As the owner grew older, he gently looked back at the vase he had taken so much time witness being redeemed. But life had become different. While the vase had been used so long to pour itself out, the owner now understood this capacity as he poured his life out into the vase.
No shame, no regrets, the clearly repaired vase had become more useful than ever, more beautiful in its brokenness than in its previous state. And the owner of that vase owned a one-of-a-kind piece of art that was sought out by many, but which no one could afford.
Beautifully Broken
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