Golden shine

Another year is coming to an end.
Twelve months, 52 weeks, 366 days.

What do I remember when I look back on this time?
Certainly there are some things I would like to erase from my memory and at the same time some things I would like to experience again, to really savour once more.

All too often we get stuck on what we didn't succeed in, where we failed and things remained open. It is difficult to accept this. We would rather conceal injuries and scars so that no one can discover anything about them on the outside.

In Japan, there is a special technique called Kintsugi, which is used to repair broken ceramics. Instead of gluing the broken pieces in such a way that no breakage is visible, Kintsugi does exactly the opposite. The glued areas are additionally coated with gold dust and the fractures are thus particularly emphasised.

Perhaps Kintsugi would also be a technique we could use for fractures, unlived things, failure this year. We do not sweep the broken pieces under the carpet, but hold our broken places up to the light, thus giving God the opportunity to transform them in His light and let them shine golden.

And with these new shining points "in our luggage" we turn to the new year in the awareness that there will be moments again that will need such a transformation and in the knowledge that God is with us and will lovingly put together what will break in our lives. 

I wish you, you and myself a blessed new year full of confidence and joy for golden moments of life,
Sr Matthea