Day 3: Counting It All Joy

God's lesson for me today was apparent from the moment I saw my new friend, Kade. I am blessed with the opportunity to work with him in the children's ministry at Solid Rock and I met him for the first time today.

I knew immediately that he would change my life.

What struck me most about Kade, who is in the k-1^st grade group, was his obvious JOY. He reminded me of the children I met in Haiti whose joy was so obvious and contagious. His joy reminded me of God's goodness and made me want to sing praises to the Lord for his affection and love.

Littered throughout the Psalms, we are called to joy, whether it is something we request from the Lord (Psalm 86: 4), or something that the Lord blesses us with because He is good (Psalm 126: 3), or that we are called to shout for because of God's love and faithfulness to us (Psalm 33; 71). Yet, even though we are called to joy, and constantly shown why we should rejoice in the Lord, I rarely see joy that is obvious and authentic.

Watching and listening to Kade, though, changed all of this for me. I saw a child who was so joyful just to be alive, and to be with other people. A child who asked me how I was doing and really meant it, who wanted to meet everyone and anyone, and who was willing to give hugs wherever they would be accepted.

But in a moment, I found myself filled with sadness as I held this sweet boy in my arms. I remembered why I was there to help, why I was specifically brought to work with this blessing from the Lord.

I remembered that Kade had cerebral palsy.
But, more importantly, I remembered how un-joyful my thoughts were going into this situation.

It wasn't that I wasn't happy or joyful to work with Kade, it was that I was worried, and even fearful that I wouldn't be prepared to work with him.  What if he didn't like me?  What if he threw a fit because of something I did?  What if I was a disappointment to him?  Instead of being joyful at what the Lord was preparing me for, and trusting in Him, I was worried about the influence that I would have over a child who I expected to be so obviously vulnerable.

And then it hit me.

I am the one who is so obviously vulnerable. Why do I need to worry when I know that God is in control? Why am I not rejoicing at the opportunity to help and serve? In that moment I remembered why I was there in the first place. I wasn't there to be perfect, or to try and be the best one-on-one worker that Solid Rock has ever seen.  I realized that I was there to show Kade the love and service that Jesus himself would've shown him, and to remind him how true it is that God is faithful and that God loves him.

I am certain that God brought Kade into my life to not only remind me to be joyful, but to show me what joy embodied looks like. I am grateful for the treasure that Kade is, and am so excited for what the Lord has in store for the both of us.  Kade is not only full of joy, but is a daily reminder to count it all joy even when the world says otherwise. 

In Christ,

Lilia