In the previous two days, my wife Dawn and I spent 16 hours in a car. It was an almost annual trip for us. You see she and I both love to create and Country Living Magazine does this fair a few times every year. It’s sort of a craft and antique fair with workshops and other events thrown in. We really enjoy it. We both have really active schedules, especially at this time of year and we go more for togetherness and inspiration than to actually buy stuff.
If you guys knew Dawn you would love her. She is one of the most unselfish people you ever wanted to meet. She is generous and I really have to talk her into buying anything for herself. Well yesterday she broke down and bought a purse. But it was so much more than a purse. We went to this one booth that had all these really interesting looking purses. As we approached the booth there was someone there to just briefly introduce us to the story. It was a booth from a non-profit called Unshattered.
They had really quality products that were pretty original, but that’s not why Dawn bought the purse. The purse Dawn bought was made from a piece of a backdrop from a Broadway show. It’s vibrant and textured with the many layers of paint that are used on such a drop and while that is cool, it’s not why she bought it either. No, she bought this purse because of the story. You see Unshattered is a 501c3 company that is all about helping people rebuild lives. Here is their belief statement:
“Providing a path toward a better life is a key part of the addiction recovery process. Relapses happen most often to those who do not have a safe community to return to and/or the ability to establish economic independence. If these factors are in place, however, lifetime recovery rates are significantly higher.
By using their God-given abilities, our women create meaningful products that act as tangible representations of their value and self-worth. We believe that this healing leads to transformation and ultimately gives our women the opportunity to find their calling and live an addiction-free life.”
Their mission statement says “Unshattered is a 501c3 nonprofit social enterprise whose mission is to provide pathways toward sustained sobriety and economic independence for women who are winning their fight against addiction.
We are committed to demonstrating that the cycle of addiction can be broken and are proud to be a facilitator of lasting, positive change.”
Lastly their guiding principles are: WE BELIEVE OUR PAST IS NOT OUR FUTURE. WE BELIEVE EVERYONE HAS A GOD GIVEN PURPOSE. WE BELIEVE A POSITIVE TRACK RECORD CREATES CONFIDENCE. WE BELIEVE TANGIBLE STEPS FORWARD CREATE SUSTAINABLE SUCCESS. WE BELIEVE ACHIEVEMENTS HELP US FIND OUR TALENTS AND STRENGTHS. WE BELIEVE CREATING IS HEALING. WE BELIEVE IN OURSELVES.
They told us the story of the woman who lovingly made the purse Dawn bought and it was sold. Here’s why this is important. We didn’t just buy a purse. We bought a story. We bought into someone’s vision. We saw someone trying to help people and make a difference and we bought in.
Why do I share this? Two reasons. First of all, I’m hoping you’ll go check out their website and help them out with a purchase or two or five, but secondly, this is the kind of thing I’ve been talking about for all the years of this site’s existence. Creative ministry isn’t just done inside of churches. It’s done any time we see a need and find a creative way to meet it. Unshattered is not just making purses. Like the art form of Kintsugi (an art form that makes broken pottery whole by fusing the pieces together with gold) that inspires their work, they are helping make broken lives whole.
See a need and meet it creatively. Remember 1 Peter 4:10, “Each one should use whatever gifts he has received to serve others…” How can you make a difference today?
AMOKArts 