Every story whispers His name

“What did Jesus ever do for me anyway?”

These haunting words poured from the mouth of an 11 year- old boy and echoed years of built up anger, hate, and pain. His heartbreaking story was not unlike many others we have heard, and his honest question screamed for an answer from someone.

I’ve been given the incredible privilege of working for South Side Mission-a ministry reaching to families from the south side of Peoria. This summer I am spending a few months working with inner-city/rural teens (13-16 years old) at a camp which offers a new program designed for discipleship, mentorship, and training teens to be future leaders. Along with this Assistant-Counselor in Training (ACT) program, come a whole slew of children ages 8-13 who come to Camp Kearney for a week of free camping experiences. One of the boys who recently spent a week with us asked the question, “What has Jesus done for me anyway?”

The crazy thing about that question is it’s something I believe we all wrestle with at one point or another. I’ve seen this question come out in a million different ways in my girls this summer. The Lord has blessed me with 7 teen girls to disciple, all with their own heartbreaking stories and deep need for love. I’ll never forget the first day they walked into the retreat center where we would be living together. The previous week myself and the male ACT counselor had spent significant time reading over their applications and looking at the immense task that laid before us. I won’t lie- it felt incredibly overwhelming and I had no idea where we would even begin with our 7 girls and 8 boys. The first day was pretty rough- and I remember feeling exhausted after a full 5 hour session with the 15 teens wondering how in the world we would ever make it through the rest of the summer. That night, my girls were getting ready for bed and I needed something to do for a devotional with them. I came out of my room with the Jesus story book Bible, and didn’t know if I was going to get laughed out, mocked, stared at, or what in the world to expect their response to be as I introduced them to this children’s Bible. Would they be “too cool” for storytime? Would they look at me and say that all too famous line I would hear a million more times as the summer progressed, “Miss Emily- you bogus!!!!” Worst case scenario I concluded they would probably fall asleep on me (which would actually be a good thing I guess!) We all gathered around the floor, some of them sitting with their blankets and pillows, others lying on their beds looking at the book. We began to read starting from Adam and Eve in the garden, the story of a great lie which entered the world and a promise that was made that a Rescuer would come to save the people.

As I finished the last few words of the story, hands went up and the questions started to fly. “God’s heart broke because of sin?” “If He knew they were going to choose sin, why did He create them?” “Who is the Rescuer that is going to come?” “I didn’t know Jesus had something to do with Adam and Eve.”

The next 2 weeks this became one of our most precious times together at night. They would beg me to keep reading story after story, and every day at least one of them would ask “How many more stories until we get to Jesus?!!!”

Together we learned that the beautiful promise that God Himself would come was written all over the Old Testament stories. From the tower of Babel-to Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Rachel and Leah, Joseph, Moses, Isaiah, Jonah….a promise of a Rescuer. Of a God who would come to reconcile all things to Himself. That God HIMSELF was going to come. That promise was whispered on every single page of the story.

One of my favorite stories we read together was when God gives Moses the 10 commandments.

(from the book)

“I want you to love me more than anything else in all the world- and know that I love you too.” God told them. “That’s the most important thing of all.”

Moses said, “God promises to always look after you. Will you love Him and keep these rules?”

“We can do it! Yes! We promise!” said the people.

But they were wrong. They couldn’t do it. God knew they couldn’t. And he wanted them to know it too. Only One person could keep all the rules.

And many years later God would send Him- to stand in their place and be perfect for them.

Because the rules couldn’t save them.

Only God could save them.

As we have attempted to answer this question with our teens the past 2 weeks, “What has God done for me anyway?” I have come to see more and more glimpses of who this God is Himself to us.

See, so often I forget what has happened before the 10 commandments. I have missed the Exodus 3 moments in life. This beautiful chapter where for the first time in all of Scripture God tells us His name. “I AM WHO I AM.”

Yahweh.

I AM.

Whatever I need, He is.

Whatever I want today, He is.

He is completely sufficient.

And graciously He would bring me to this place of brokenness that I might say, “You are. Everything I need today, God. You are.”

Friday, my girls got to the story entitled “He’s here!” where we finally got to read the words that God Himself had come. I wish you could have been in the room. They all started screaming and clapping their hands and shouting in joy. He came!

Oh that my response would every morning be as the joy of these girls. Because my God HAS COME. My God has redeemed and rescued! He has saved me from cycles of sin I was doomed to keep repeating. With all the passion in the Universe, He loves me right now. And His love for me isn’t based on my performance or how well I do. It’s never based on how well I do any type of spiritual discipline. His love is based on His character. On who He is.

So what did Jesus ever do for me anyway?

He came, so that I may have life eternal.

He invited me into the greatest love story the world will ever know.

And He lovingly extends the invitation to anyone who would call on His name.

See, I can’t keep all the rules. And as I hard as I might try, they could never save me. I need Someone much bigger than myself.

I needed someone to stand in my place and be perfect for me.

And He has.

Yes, my Jesus has.