Flaws For The Win

The problem with blogging is that you have to slow down life long enough to blog about the cool things you're learning. That's been happening a lot for me lately, hence the lack of blogs. 

Today is the first day of week one at Circle Square Ranch. I'm on staff this year as the instructor for the discipleship training program we offer for potential staff. I've got 15 students this year - 5 girls and 10 boys. Caraaaazy. I'm excited to meet them this afternoon and get to know their stories. 

CSR welcomes kids from all over the area and from different religious backgrounds and family dynamics. Some of the DIT students come from single parent homes or foster care. While these students have already accepted Christ and are seeking to serve Him through this camp ministry, I know that a lot of them are coming from difficult circumstances. As I thought about the youth I'll be working with for the next four weeks, I remembered 1 Corinthians 1:26-31. It goes a little something like this...

" Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.”

These high schoolers are all called to be here this summer. More importantly they are called to respond to the Great Commission to go into the world and preach the Gospel, making disciples, baptizing them... hello! So while I know some of them have stories that will make me laugh or even break my heart, I know that God isn't looking for perfect people to spread the Good News. In fact, the more imperfect, the better! I don't know about you, but I'm full of imperfections. The beauty of it though is that His strength is made perfect in our weakness. Our lives are to be lived for His glory, not our own. 

I want to brag about God. I want people to look at me and see God in me. It's not about me and what I can do in my own human strength. It's about using the gifts God has given me to draw people to Christ. I'm excited to work with these students and see them grow closer to God. I'm glad that even when the world says we're not good enough God says that we're exactly what He's been looking for.