Weekly devotion: Everybody Matters in God’s Family
This week we pray for the Princess Basma Centre’s satellite clinic in Gaza City, where children with injuries and disabilities receive vital rehabilitation services.
Amid the ongoing hardship in Gaza, the Princess Basma Centre is offering vital care and hope to children with disabilities and their families. The Centre’s main site in Jerusalem is a leading provider of rehabilitation services and, since 2023, they have been running a satellite clinic at Al Ahli Hospital – another Embrace partner – in Gaza City. The clinic works with children who have had disabilities since birth and also those injured in the Israel-Hamas conflict.
The challenges here are even greater than those in Jerusalem – a lack of testing resources means children don’t always have an accurate diagnosis, while prosthetics and general medical supplies are also subject to shortages. Yet the clinic team perseveres and provides a holistic approach – doctors, physiotherapists, a nutritionist, a social worker, and an occupational therapist work together to support each child’s wellbeing. Alongside the physical rehabilitation, there’s a crucial role for counselling and play therapy, helping children and their families to process their trauma.
Families are at the heart of this work. Parents – especially mothers – are equipped with the skills and confidence to continue therapy at home. And although separated from the Jerusalem Princess Basma Centre by checkpoints, barriers, and the dangers of conflict, the Gaza team always has the support of their family of colleagues.
Bible reading
Indeed, the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot were to say, ‘Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body’, that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear were to say, ‘Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body’, that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose.
1 Corinthians 12:14-18
Thought
The human body represents the church in this passage from Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians. The body is not one blurry mass, but made of many parts – each with its own unique and essential role. In a society that can so easily undervalue those who appear different, these verses affirm that every person has an important place in God’s family. This truth underpins the work of the Princess Basma Centre, where children with disabilities are recognised and celebrated as individuals with inherent worth.
The passage reminds us that we all bring something of value. Even when we downplay our own skills or feel different from everyone else, God still knows the role he has given us. He calls each of us to play our part, honouring one another and working together in his love.
Ask yourself: What unique skills do you contribute to God’s work, and how can you make the most of them this week?
Prayer
Loving Father,
Thank you for making each of us different yet equally valuable and needed. We pray for the children supported by the Princess Basma Centre’s clinic, and ask you to protect them, the staff and their families in Gaza’s volatile situation.
Always remind us to see the dignity and worth of every person, and to honour the gifts you have given each one of us. Help us play our part faithfully, serving one another with humility and love.
Amen
Find out more about play therapy in Gaza
Mousa is just one of the JPBC team working in challenging conditions in Gaza to bring hope and support to children every day.
Inspired by what you read here? Share it on social (don’t forget to tag Embrace!):