Broken pot

I look within and all I see is brokenness.
I see me, and I am alone.
I look within and I see the heartbreaks suffered over a lifetime.
How many times?
How many times must I struggle to remember that I am not alone?
Remember that I am loved?

Even here. 
Even surrounded by people day and night.
Even with multiple hugs and affirmations and conversations every day.
Even here I can feel alone.

I am broken.
A broken pot of clay that forgets I rest within my creator's hand.
These chips and cracks in my heart,
These defects that leave me hurting at times.
They become my focus.
I forget that they are also my strengths.

With every new friendship I give away a piece of my heart.
The hole left behind allows me to pour out love.
It may hurt, but it's a good thing.
Because if I held it all in, there would be no room for love to expand and flow out.
There would be no room for others to pour their love into me.

Again and again there are goodbyes.
But there are also hellos.
It's time to chip away at my heart again,
so there's more room to love.

For God uses the broken.
He fills us up with his love and mercy until we overflow.
Here I am.
Use me.