“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” (Psalm 147:3)

All day today, I had this word in the back of my mind as I try to understand all that is going on in the world right now with the Coronavirus, or Covid – 19.

My heart hurts for the billion of kids around the world who are not going to school. My heart hurts for how fast this thing is spreading around the globe. My heart hurts for the educators in this country who are given the task in 8 days to completely shift the entire education paradigm in our country using little to no resources. My heart hurts for the small businesses. My heart hurts for families who have people facing job losses. My heart hurts for the weddings that have been canceled (including my cousin Andrew and his beautiful bride, Breanna!). My heart hurts for the families who have to postpone funerals for their loved ones. My heart hurts for all of the uncertainty in our country. My heart hurts for the added stress this puts on families, children, and the elderly.

My heart just hurts.

Tonight as I sat and read to Kirby before bedtime, I envisioned tonight’s picture. My heart feels broken into hundreds of small pieces.

But, from hundreds of beautiful pieces, comes a collective photo of beauty and love.

This is sea glass that I collected in Chicago last August with my family. We each hunted for these broken pieces of glass that have been made smooth and beautiful by the lake, in this case, Lake Michigan. I hunted and hunted so that I could get a “collection” to display in a small glass bowl on my bathroom shelf.

I looked for broken pieces so that I could make something beautiful.

Today, the broken pieces all seem to be there….right in my heart. It’s my job now to collect them to make something beautiful. So, that is the thought I will march forth with during this crazy time. I will put together the pieces and make something beautiful for my boys, for my family, and for my students. And most importantly, God will be with me each step of the way, as “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.”