The Beauty in Brokenness – A Shell of a Lesson.

Sometimes, we stumble into little life lessons in the most unexpected places.

Last week, as I walked along the shoreline in the early morning with my friend Allison, I was lost in conversation with her, dodging the ice-cold water as it washed in to kiss the shore good morning. The salty breeze whipped across our faces and the sand crunched gently beneath our feet. We were catching up on each other’s lives and ironically discussing broken people and the pain they can cause others when they don’t turn to God or try to walk in His ways.

Just then, something caught my eye—a seashell nestled in the sand. It was beautiful, whole, and seemingly perfect. Excitedly, I bent down, scooped it up, and admired its smooth curves and intricate patterns. “Oh, look! It’s perfect!” I said to Allison. But as I flipped it over, my heart sank. There it was—a hole right in the middle. It wasn’t perfect after all. It was flawed, broken, incomplete.

Without thinking, I almost threw it back into the ocean, dismissing it as imperfect and unworthy of keeping. But then, a realization washed over me. I am just like this shell —appearing whole on the surface yet broken in places not always visible at first glance. Hidden cracks and subtle fractures whisper a story of resilience, shaped by all the shell has endured—just as they do for me.

At first glance, many people may seem to have it all together, but if you look a little closer, you will almost always begin to notice the broken places within them—the wounds, the scars, the imperfections that reveal a deeper story. And yet, despite our flaws, despite the cracks in our hearts and souls, God never tosses us aside. He doesn’t look at our brokenness and deem us unworthy. He keeps us. He loves us. He treasures us.

So instead of throwing the shell back into the ocean, I made the decision to hold onto it. I decided to keep it on my nightstand as a reminder that I don’t have to be flawless to be cherished. My value isn’t found in perfection, but in who I am—loved, chosen, and held by grace.

We all carry cracks, wounds, and stories that shape who we are. But our broken places don’t make us worthless; they make us human. And in moments when others feel broken, discouraged, or unseen, we have the opportunity to speak truth and love into their lives. A simple reminder that God doesn’t throw them away. Taking the time to reiterate to them that they are loved, chosen, and valuable in God’s eyes can be the light that guides them out of the shadows of doubt and into the warmth of His unwavering love.

It’s our chance to be human sunshine for others.