By Melody Kidd
Spiritual Care Week comes each October. Spiritual Care providers, counselors and chaplains serve others in the trenches of life. We come alongside the hurting and downtrodden, those impacted by the elements in life which kick us in the gut. We come not with tools to fix the issue, but we come and consistently meet those who hurt with God’s grace and love.
So many times, our lives can sometimes feel like a patchwork of hurt and disappointment. We struggle. We find ourselves questioning and doubting, yet at the end of our inquiry, we find a God who remains present to us amid our pain. God does not waste our pain. God meets us amid our brokenness and weaves His loving grace to where beauty comes forth through our brokenness.
Spiritual Care providers walk in these trenches of life. We stand in the gap and hold the sands of change in our hand and heart. We navigate and emulate the loving grace of God to others during these times of despair. The psalmist tells us, “If your heart is broken, you’ll find God right there; if you’re kicked in the gut, he’ll help you catch your breath,” Psalm 34:18, The Message.
This year’s theme embraces the thought of Kintsugi, the Japanese art of putting broken pottery pieces back together with gold. It is built on the idea that in embracing growing edges and scars, we can create an even stronger, more beautiful piece of art. It highlights the scars as part of the design. In reconstructing this broken piece, we learn to embrace the beauty in brokenness. Instead of hiding the cracks, gold is utilized to highlight the brokenness and bring healing.
This is what CBF Spiritual Care providers do each day. We come alongside those whose hearts are broken. We come and stand in the trenches of life with those who have been kicked in the gut. The hurt and loss, the growing edges and scars, and assist those individuals to highlight the brokenness and embrace the beauty in their brokenness. Healing and hope can come and help us catch our breath. Our mess can ignite a message. This is what CBF Spiritual Care providers do. We come alongside others and assist them in catching their breath and identifying their beauty amid their brokenness.
Rev. Melody Kidd, MDiv, MA, BCC, is a board-certified chaplain at the VA in Tampa, Fla., and pastor of Emmanuel Community Church in Palm Harbor, Fla.