A Lesson to Restore the Broken Child

On Grandma Sarah’s 70th birthday the family presented her with many gifts. There was a bounty of food for her table, a chair for her to sit on, a new pot to cook in and a big red flashlight. Grandma Sarah happily ate the food, sat in her chair and cooked rice in her pot over the hot fire. But she did not know what to do with the flashlight! Grandma Sarah had never enjoyed electricity in her little house. She had never before owned a flashlight. All of her life, she used candles and kerosene lamps to light her way. Her grandson tried to show her how to use it, but she was not interested. What did she need a flashlight for? Since Grandma Sarah did not use the flashlight to light her way, she found other uses for it. When she wanted to keep her door from closing, she used it as a door-stop. When she wanted to break large stones into small pieces for her pottery, she used it as a hammer. When she was angry at the neighbor, she used it as a weapon and threw it at her. Eventually the flashlight was forgotten outside in the rain. It was stepped on, kicked and ignored. Until the day of the big storm… The storm raged so long and so hard over the village that the roads flooded. The villagers could not travel to the big city to get kerosene and candles. They had little food. After a while all of the kerosene and candles were gone. The nights were very dark. Grandma Sarah felt lonely in the dark. Then she remembered the big red flashlight. Grandma Sarah searched high and low for the flashlight. At last she found it under a bush outside. Happily, she turned it around until she found the button that would turn it on. But when she turned it on, there was no light! Grandma Sarah was angry. She took the flashlight to her grandson. “This flashlight you gave me does not work!” she cried. The grandson held the big red flashlight in his hands. It did not look new anymore. It was not shiney, strong and it did not give any light. Instead the flashlight was dented, dirty, with broken glass and bulb. The end of the flashlight had been torn away and the batteries lost long ago. Sadly her grandson said, “You are right, Grandma Sarah. The flashlight IS broken. It does not work anymore. But it DID work when I gave it to you. It was beautiful, shiney and had a bright light!” “Then why doesn’t it work now?” asked Grandma Sarah. “You did not value the flashlight. You did not appreciate its unique purpose. You did not see the beauty of it. You used the flashlight for things it was not designed for. It was not created to be a doorstop or hammer. It was not designed to be a weapon. Each time you used the flashlight for something it was not designed for, you dented, rusted and broke it. It is damaged now because you did not value it.” Grandma Sarah hung her head. “You are right,” she said. “What can we do now? Do we throw it away?” “No!” cried her grandson. We can fix this flashlight with loving care and wisdom.” The grandson used a damp cloth and washed the flashlight, polishing it until it glowed. He bought a small piece of glass and replaced the lense. He bought a new bulb and batteries and installed them. His grandmother watched with excited anticipation as he tried to turn it on. It worked! Light bathed the darkening room. Grandmother hugged the flashlight to her chest and smiled. She did not need to fear the darkness. She had light! Discussion Questions: Why didn’t Grandma Sarah value the flashlight? What was the flashlight designed for? What were the ways Grandma Sarah used the flashlight? Was it designed for these things? What happened to the flashlight when it was not used right? (According to its design) Who did Grandma Sarah blame when the flashlight didn’t work? Whose fault is it? LIFE LESSON: YOU were created with a special design. The Bible says you were made in the image of God! Some people don’t know this. They try to use children for things they were not designed for. They try to use them as slaves to do all of their work…or to steal and lie for them. They try to use them to do things them that the Bible says we should not do. When they get angry, they sometimes throw or abuse the children the same way Grandma Sarah used the flashlight when she was angry. They may even kick the child out of the home and leave him or her on the streets. When people do this, what happens to the children? Sometimes the children are broken and lose their innocence. They don’t feel special anymore. They may begin to think that God created them to be used in wrong ways. But God never forgets why He made them. He loves every child He made. He knows how to fix them when they are broken. He knows how to stop others from using them in wrong ways. So what should a child do if they have been used wrongly or hurt? They should tell a pastor, teacher or relative who can help them. And they can pray.. God hears every prayer. He cares. He can help the child. It took time to fix Grandma Sarah’s flashlight. It may take time to fix the child. BUT, no child is ever too broken to fix. ALL things are possible with God! Craft: Light (what were YOU designed for?) To make a light, roll a large piece of paper into a tube-shape (should be as wide as a child's head). Cut designs into the tube and decorate with glue and glitter. If available, use tape to attach colored tissue paper on the inside of the tube so that it covers the designs. Stand the tube on one end and place a small candle in the center of the circle within. When it is lit, the light will shine through the designs! PERSONAL APPLICATION: (for counseling) Has anyone ever used you in a wrong way? (Let the children talk about it or draw pictures, explaining the picture to you afterward.) Make notes of the child’s name and what he/she shares so that we can notify the Headmaster and Pastor to discuss ways to help him/her. Speak honor over the child and bless him/her. Pray restoration. Pray healing for every hurt. On the paper lights, have each child list what is special about him or her.