All these words can describe various times in our lives. We can be shattered, or broken, or torn to pieces by choices we make or by the decisions of others.
Sometimes our choices may bring regrets years later and maybe it’s too late to change. How do we deal with the guilt or the sadness? We may feel shattered because now we see more the blindness that drove our earlier selfishness. If we describe ourselves as broken we may wonder how to become whole again. We may feel our life is being torn to pieces by the realization of how many years have gone by. We may shed tears for what has been lost.
The need to forgive oneself
This is a time for adult faith to confront Santa-God. The Santa-God image prompts us to concentrate on our wrong-doing. We may feel that Santa-God is punishing us for our past misdeeds. The adult believer will accept the reality of forgiving ourselves. With adult faith we admit the mistakes of the past but accept that they are part of the past. Neither holding on to the wrong or trying to justify our past choice is the way of faith. Letting go is allowing yourself to forgive your human weakness. It may be difficult to accept that you are loved unconditionally. It could be attractive to wallow in self-pity. But the God who made you sees your heart, knows its past frailty, and also knows its desire to grow into the indwelling Divine image. God sees and loves the God who lives within.
The decisions of others
Sometimes, the shattered, or broken, or torn to pieces description results from others hammering on or ripping apart our life. Again adult faith steps up to assure us that the impact is not God’s will. The Santa-God might ask why God let this happen. What did we do wrong to deserve this? Is God testing my faith? The adult believer holds on to the belief that God is always with us. God never abandons us. Adult faith tells us that when we are shattered God picks up the pieces and designs a new mosaic. God gathers the broken remains and molds us into a new vessel. When we are torn to pieces, God takes the shredded threads and weaves for us a new coat of many colors.
Like everyone, I guess, I’ve been in both places: hurt by something I regretted doing and hurt by someone else. Time passes after both incidents of course, but it seems I think I can still forgive others more easily than myself.