One of the highlights of my summer was being a mentor mom at YoungLives camp, a camp for teen moms and their children.  During one of the meetings, several of the mentor moms shared their stories with the rest of us.  I noticed one in particular looked nervous as she confessed her difficult and painful journey.  Later, when I expressed my appreciation for her sharing, I was surprised at how earnestly she grasped my hand in gratitude.  She told me a little more about herself, and I encouraged her in what she was doing.  Over the next couple days, she was on my heart and in my prayers, so I had to seek her out once more.

My past does not include many of the specific challenges most of these girls have dealt with, so it is harder for them to relate to and connect with me.  While I can encourage them, and we do find common ground, she has something to offer that I do not.  I had to tell her that her brokenness was a thing of beauty in the hand of God, that her story reaches these teen moms so powerfully.  Not only do I count as loss all my “advantages” in this setting, I see her redeemed brokenness as treasure, a gift she can offer these girls.

I am humbled and grateful for this work of Jesus.

For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.  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.  2 Corinthians 4:5-7