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God Uses Shabby Rabbits and Mute Swans
Weary, Adversity, Comfort, Encouragement, Hope Dana Rongione Weary, Adversity, Comfort, Encouragement, Hope Dana Rongione

God Uses Shabby Rabbits and Mute Swans

This morning, my mind wandered, which honestly isn't unusual. But this time, it wandered somewhere worth following.

I was thinking about three stories I've loved since childhood: The Ugly Duckling, The Velveteen Rabbit, and The Trumpet of the Swan. Here are three characters who had absolutely no business being the hero of anyone's story, or so the world around them thought. A gangly gray bird that didn't look like anyone else. A scruffy stuffed rabbit who was losing his button eyes and had the stuffing loved right out of him. A trumpeter swan named Louis, who couldn't make a sound and was silent in a world that communicated entirely through song.

It didn't take long to notice the thread running through all three stories. Each one of these characters was, by all outward appearances, broken. Unfit. The square peg in the round hole.

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Broken But Beautiful
Encouragement, Comfort, Weary, Rise Up and Build, Anxiety, depression, Deadly Darts of the Devil Dana Rongione Encouragement, Comfort, Weary, Rise Up and Build, Anxiety, depression, Deadly Darts of the Devil Dana Rongione

Broken But Beautiful

I recently learned about a fascinating Japanese art form called kintsugi. Rather than tossing broken pottery into the bin, artisans carefully piece the fragments back together using a special adhesive made from tree sap. But here's the truly remarkable part: they don’t hide the cracks. Instead, they highlight them by filling the seams with gold, creating something even more beautiful than the original piece.

As I studied photos of these stunning works of art, tears filled my eyes. You see, I know what it's like to feel broken. The weight of anxiety and depression has left me with countless cracks and fissures. The battle against chronic illness has left me weary and battered. There are days when I feel utterly shattered by negative thoughts and overwhelming fears, wondering if I'll ever be whole again. Perhaps you can relate?

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