Jimbo's Jots

Many years ago, I directed a camp at Rochester Christian University (Michigan Christian College at the time). One year, our theme was on the topic of grace. Over the week together, middle school, high school students, college staff and ministers all came together to explore this topic.

In planning and meeting with the speakers for the week, we created an activity to help demonstrate the grace we receive through Jesus Christ. Here it is: Each person was given a small clay pot to paint and decorate how they wish. At a later time, their small groups were broken up into small circles of 3-5 people. Each person had their clay pot – they were also given marbles. Marbles represent sins they have been carrying. As they held their clay pot in one hand, they dropped the marbles in until the pots dropped to the ground. Two things happened then. The college students, who at this point, represented Jesus, picked up the marbles. Then, everyone was encouraged to pick up pieces of clay pot regardless of if it was their pot or someone else’s.

As I did some debriefing with the staff during our next free time, we talked about this activity and the response. Many of the college students and ministers that participated were moved as we walked through each step. Many felt inadequate to play the part of Jesus picking up the marbles.

What moved them most was the picking up of the broken pieces. Many of the staff themselves realized what happens when we feel broken. They began to share how moved they were that there was no judgement from anyone else about having to pick up the pieces. One minister shared that he saw some of the students and staff on their knees picking up pieces of the clay pots.

We all have had those moments, haven’t we? We feel so fragile and experience so much pain and hurt that we eventually fall and break. We look at the broken pieces and sense we are alone in cleaning up the brokenness. All along, there is Jesus and others bending over, maybe even crawling on the ground to help you pick up those pieces. The gospel of Jesus is the story of God coming in the form of many, experiencing the brokenness and hurt of others, and providing the grace offered to help us pick up the marbles first, then pick up the pieces. We all, I think, have felt this!

Praise God for the marbles being taken away and for picking up our pieces! Praise God also for those who help pick up the broken pieces for us as well!

By the way, once the pieces were all picked up, each person was given a new pot to take and decorate. New life out of brokenness! But that may have to be a story for another time.

Be blessed as you experience the broken pieces! Be a blessing to others as you help pick up their pieces!