God Uses Brokenness
Priscilla (far right), last year with kids from St. James Town.
By: Priscilla Ip, Summer Intern in St. James Town
As I prepare to teach the Bible lessons for camp, I’ve been reflecting on our theme of ‘Beauty in the Broken’. Joseph is hated and abandoned by his brothers, wrongly accused, forgotten in prison, and left alone in a foreign country. Moses is a murderer who lacks the confidence and faith to follow God’s calling for his life. Yet, despite each trial, God still used both of their lives to point it all back to Himself. He uses broken people to display His glory to the world.
Personally, this past year has been quite challenging as through certain situations, God has humbled me and showed me the weaknesses and current sins I struggle with. Looking back, I can see how God used those moments to remind me of my need for a Saviour – Jesus, who was broken on the cross for us and is the ultimate example of how God uses brokenness to bring the good news of eternal life.
2 Corinthians 4: 6-10 says, “For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.”
We may think that God prefers to use people that have it all together, but this isn’t always true. He chooses us – the flawed and worn out, so that we will not depend on our own strengths and glorify ourselves, but rely only on His power which brings glory to Him. A cracked jar of clay allows people to see the light that is inside better than one that is all put together. In our brokenness, God shines His light in us, so that we can be made whole in Him and others may see His light through us.
Over the course of summer, I know there will be times when the children misbehave and disobey camp rules. However, it’s important to remember that the root of these temper tantrums and insults is the brokenness from lies that they believe: “I’m alone”, “I’m worthless”, “I’ll never be good enough”. As I continue to build relationships with these children, many who come from broken homes, my prayer is that I will be able to enter into their brokenness and meet them there with the love of Christ that brings hope and healing. I pray that each child that comes to camp will learn and believe their value comes from Christ and they have a precious treasure hidden within them, no matter how broken they might feel.
This is Priscilla’s second year serving as a summer intern at TCM. She loved being able to witness first-hand how building long-term relationships and bringing the hope of Jesus’ name can impact a child’s life! This summer she hopes to continue to foster long-term relationships with the kids and youth at St. James Town.