Cracked, But Still Chosen

 

One morning at a Kiwanis breakfast, I went through the line and grabbed a plastic spork wrapped neatly in plastic. It looked perfect — sealed, clean, ready to use. But when I opened the wrapper, I saw that it was cracked. Broken.

And in that moment, God whispered, “That’s how many of My children look.”

 

On the outside, we appear fine — smiling faces, polite conversation, nice clothes. But underneath, behind the plastic of presentation, many hearts are cracked. Some are shattered. And the truth is, most people won’t ever see it. Because most people never look past the surface.

 

1 Samuel 16:7 (CJB) says, “Man looks at the outward appearance, but Adonai looks at the heart.”

You see, God sees what others overlook — the quiet pain, the hidden battles, the tears no one else notices. And sometimes, He allows you to see those cracks in someone’s spirit, not to judge them, but to minister to them.

 

There’s a reason He put you in their path. You might be the last person to see their brokenness before they make a permanent decision about a temporary storm.

A kind word, a prayer, or even just a moment of truly seeing them could be the difference between despair and deliverance.

 

We live in a world that teaches people to “hold it together,” but Christ calls us to hold each other up. He calls us to be His hands and His heart — to look beyond the wrapping and see the wounded.

 

So today, when you look around, don’t just see smiles. Look deeper. Someone’s soul may be cracked — but in God’s hands, even the broken can still be used to serve His purpose.

 

Because what’s cracked in the world’s eyes, is often the very thing through which God’s light shines brightest.
 

-Rev Carlos Figueroa