God Can Heal Broken Hearts

These last few weeks at Akina Kid's Club we've been teaching from the theme "God Heals Broken Hearts."  This last week, Ms. Ginny taught about how sin causes our hearts to break.  She used an great illustration that centered around a heart shaped sponge.  One by one, students in the room were chosen to share something that would cause their heart to break, then place a dropper full of dark liquid on to the heart, which would automatically absorb the liquid.  As student shared heartbreaking words like "abuse," and "drugs" the pink heart slowly turned dark.  The message was clear: sin causes our hearts to break-whether it is our own sin, or another person's.

Then Ms. Ginny shared how Jesus came to heal our broken hearts, and save us from the painful effects of sin. Washing the sponge, she reminded the students of Psalm 147:3 which says so clearly:  'He heals the broken hearted and binds up their wounds."  It is awesome to know that no matter how broken we are, Jesus can heal us, and turn our ugly into something beautiful when we come to him!  "You have turned my mourning into dancing.  You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy."  Psalm 30:11

Unto us a Child is Born

 

Christmas always seems in my mind "the glimmer."  Maybe it is because I've been a part of several Christmas eve candle light services, or the fact that I light zillions of pine scented candles in my home during the season.  I don't know.  What I do know is that when I think of Christmas, the first thing that comes to mind is that glimmer.  That small lick of flame that the darkness threatens to eat up, but can't.  It can't because wherever the light shines, the darkness immediately dissolves.

Then, slowly, the glimmer starts to grow.  Like the dawn, you don't notice it at first, but the light is expanding.  It takes over the darkness almost secretively until it can no longer be held back.  Then the light bursts forth in all its glory!

The hope Jesus brought, started out small, in infant form. It was only a glimmer of hope, really.  But the reality of his birth would destroy the darkness for ever.  In his birth was the awesomeness that now, God was with us.  He was one of us.  And ultimately, the Creator who became like his creation, would die as the sacrifice for them.  Because he loved them.  It is very cool.

We got to share this hope with the Akina Kid's Club kids this season, and it was a blast!  We enjoyed an amazing time of candlelit Christmas caroling, and several kids were even in a drama that told the Christmas story to their peers.  The students were also blessed with cookies and amazing gifts that were given by the generous people at Grace Church in Eden Prairie.  It was amazing because the students really caught on to the goodness of God, and the fact that He was with them this Christmas season.  Their wide eyes and thankful smiles spoke volumes.

We also were able to take several of the Minogi students to the Christmas service at Emmanuel, which they really enjoyed.  How fun to see these beautiful children grow in Christ!  We are so grateful to everyone who helps out and sacrifices time and money to share the Good News of Jesus with the Native families in the Twin Cities.  Their hard work is planting seeds that God can grow!  To God be the Glory!

Hills and Valleys (A Miraculous Tale of the Interests of God)

God is interested in you.  He is interested in me.  I notice this the most in the little things He does: little miracles that remind me that he is paying attention.  We often pray that God would display these little "miracles" in the lives of the urban Native American kids we work with.  Growing up in a broken environment, they need to know he is near them, and that he cares for them.  God answers those prayers often, and here is one example.

Karie (We've changed her name) has often struggled with making friends both in her community and at Kid's Club.  She has a strong personality, and exhibits behavior indicative of trauma.  She often pushes people away, but we love her, and in the last few years she has shown a real interest in the Lord.  She even prayed to receive the Lord during camp!  While she has her struggles, we were so blessed to find out her favorite song was one we sang at camp two years ago called "Hills and Valleys."

A few weeks ago was Karie's birthday.  It happened to occur the same night as Kid's Club, so we all sang "Happy Birthday," of course.  On the way home, she asked Dan, who was driving the bus, if she could listen to her favorite song, "Hills and Valleys, for her birthday.  Unfortunately, we didn't have a way to play the song on the bus.  He told her no, he was sorry, and that there was no way to play the song on the bus.  As the kids sat down, Dan started the bus and suddenly the beginning of the song "Hills and Valleys," began playing on the RADIO.  Perfect timing!  It was such a cool opportunity to reinforce the truth the God cared about Karie, and was interested in her life.  He was paying attention to her and wanted to specially bless her on her birthday!  It is something she will never forget.

God is interested in you too, and I pray that as you read this, you will encounter those little miracles in your own life.  The one who spoke only a few words and created the universe knows what is happening in your world, and better yet, HE CARES.  May our eyes be open daily to the blessings of the Lord.