Stoneware, Urushi, Stone Powder, Brass

Our imperfections, might appear to others—and sometimes even to ourselves—as liabilities, signs of flawed character, or evidence of inadequacy. If we allow ourselves to acknowledge these “weaknesses” we may find something we didn’t expect. These so-called flaws are not just cracks in our character; they are the very places where light can enter, where growth and transformation can occur. Thus, our flaws have potential to be a source of resilience, strength, and wisdom.

Ultimately, our imperfections don’t have to be liabilities, but markers of our humanity. They can serve as proof that we have worked through our difficulties and have embraced our whole selves with acceptance and love. A beacon to provide hope for others that they may also find wholeness in themselves.

Stoneware, Urushi, Stone Powder, Brass

In life, we often cling to the outcomes we so desperately want, believing that if we just push a little harder, plan a little better, or control things more tightly, we can assure that we will get what we want. Yet, there comes a point where the weight of constant striving and the endless array of challenges begins to break us down. It's easy to lose faith, to feel as though life is working against us. Yet, what if we see these moments as times when life is working for us? What if we surrender to win?

When we finally reach that moment where we relinquish our hold—when we stop trying to force life into a shape we desire and let go of our need to control the outcomes—something magical happens. We open ourselves up to the possibility of divine order, to the idea that perhaps the struggles we face are not there to break us, but to build us up in ways we can’t yet see.

Japanese Beach Pottery, Urushi, Stone Powder, Brass

A relationship with Spirit and fellowship with others provides crucial support in times of loss or grief. We simply can’t manage on our own. In this repair yobitsugi or the joint-call method uses Japanese beach pottery to make the vessel whole again.

Isn’t this a reflection of our own spiritual journey? Just as the joint-call method uses unexpected elements to make a broken vessel whole, so too does the Divine call to us in our brokenness.This idea is beautifully echoed in one of my favorite poems, The Hound of Heaven by Francis Thompson. Thompson, a homeless addict before finding redemption, writes about a relentless pursuit by the Divine—a hound that chases down the soul, not to punish it, but to bring it into the arms of grace. In one of the poem’s final lines, Thompson writes, “All I took from thee I did but take, Not for thy harms, But just that thou might'st seek in my arms.” These words speak to the deep truth that what we often experience as loss, pain, or hardship is not meant for our destruction, but for our healing. We are not meant to be left broken and unwhole. Rather, the challenges we face may drive us toward the Creator, where true wholeness is found.