Poetry helps to give staying power to truths with which we resonate. Tune in all week to hear Joni share some of her favorite poems.
It’s National Poetry Month, and I’m Joni Eareckson Tada.
And I am one of those who has always been blessed by poetry. When powerful truths are couched within a poem; when they are conveyed in a clever rhythm and cadence, I don’t know, those truths kind of stick. Poetry helps give staying power to truths with which we all resonate. When we read an insightful poem, and it makes us think, “Yeah, yeah, that’s me. I’ve felt that way.” When that’s your response to a poem, it’s one you’ll never forget. It’s why all this week I’ll be sharing some of my favorite poetry in hopes that it will resonate with you. And who knows? You may even find yourself inspired to come up with a few lines of poetry yourself!
It’s what happened to me decades ago when a diving accident shattered my life into pieces. God used caring Christians to help me pick up those pieces and yield my paralysis to God and his will for my life, and once I gave Christ all those broken pieces, I had this overwhelming sense of peace and rest and joy. It was enough to inspire me to write a poem, and I called it “When Pretty Things Get Broken,” and it goes like this…
I have a piece of china, a fragile porcelain vase,
It holds such lovely flowers; it captures everybody’s gaze.
But fragile things do slip and fall, as everybody knows,
And when that vase came crashing down, my tears began to flow.
But don’t we all cry when pretty things get broken?
Don’t we all sigh at such an awful loss?
Yet Jesus will dry your tears, as He has spoken,
For He was the One broken on the cross.
[Now] My life was just like china, a lovely thing to me,
Full of porcelain promises of all that I might be.
But fragile things do slip and fall, as everybody knows,
And when my life came crashing down, my tears began to flow.
But don’t we all cry when pretty things get broken?
Don’t we all sigh at such an awful loss?
Yet Jesus will dry your tears, as He has spoken,
For He was the One broken on the cross.
Now Jesus is no porcelain Prince, His promises won’t break,
His holy Word holds fast and sure, His love no one can shake.
So if your life is shattered by sorrow, pain, or sin,
His healing love will reach right down and make you whole again.
[And] Yes, you will cry when pretty things get broken.
And, oh, you will sigh at such an awful loss.
But every tear is more than just a token,
For Christ made them his when He was broken on the cross.
I guess I wrote that about, what, fifty years ago, and I’m so glad I saved that poem all these years, so I could share it with you today. The cadence may not be perfect, but the sentiment is straight from my heart – a heart that knows what it means to be shattered and broken. Hey, you can download this poem today at joniradio.org. Just ask for my poem, “When Pretty Things Get Broken.” The team here has even printed it on a beautiful bookmark that you can tuck into your Bible. So if this poetry I wrote has blessed you today, then ask for my bookmark at joniradio.org. Again, that’s joniradio.org. Because yes, you will cry when pretty things get broken, and oh, you will sigh at such an awful loss, but every tear is more than just a token, for Christ made them his when he was broken on the cross. This poem is yours, along with a bookmark that we printed up for you at joniradio.org. See you next time for another favorite poem! Visit us at joniradio.org.
© Joni and Friends