In Nicaragua, I met an incredible young woman, and at that moment I knew I would share about her.
Because she radiated joy. She radiated Jesus.
Earlier in the week, we had had a parent meeting for the boys who attend the program, her two younger brothers among those boys, and she was there in the back of that room, noticeably smaller and younger than the rest of the women. But she came so much like them, with a little one in tow. There because she is invested in what the program is doing for the boys. I noticed her then but didn’t have much time to talk to her.
A handful of days later we had a birthday party for our host’s daughter, and she came with the little sister in tow to celebrate with us. Because she loves and cares for our host’s daughter with so much intentionality.
She came and CELEBRATED, dancing for hours, smiling and laughing the whole time. She was abundantly kind to our host’s daughter. She genuinely had fun and played with kids much younger than her for hours. She cared for her little sister patiently and kindly all with a smile, and usually dancing feet.
She was smart and fun and just overflowing with joy and excitement.
And then I learned her story. And her story takes NOTHING away from all of those things. It does, however, ADD to what I had already observed about her.
She is seventeen and finishing up school. Her mother passed away within this last year, leaving her to care for her younger three siblings. So while she finishes school she also cares for and raises her 9- and 13-year-old brothers and their littlest 3-year-old sister.
And yet she RADIATES joy.
She trusts in the Lord. She is thankful for the ministry as a place that pours into her brothers and who cares for her family. No, it isn’t how she thought her life would look. But she DELIGHTS in what she has. She celebrates and loves and pours out.
I don’t think she will ever know just how much she showed me the character of Jesus.
So basically I think I want to say what if we all looked a little more like her? What if we danced and celebrated even in the hard? What if we showed up and showed people Jesus?
*Breath taking*
Thank you for painting that story for us Cake. Your expression allows us to feel a glimpse of what that moment may have been .
She definitely displays “the joy of the Lord is my Strength” . It’s beautiful to see how heavy a story “is” or “seemingly should be” , yet the Lord shows us “my yoke is easy and my burden light”.
Thanks for sharing . Praying for you all . Miss you friend .
YESS!! HERE TO CELEBRATE EVEN IN THE HARD!! Our joy is not circumstantial, and this is the most beautiful example of that. Thanks for this sweet story 🙂
I love how this story portrays the contrast of painful and difficult life experiences that the world brings with the joy of the kingdom. We live daily with the results of eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. EVERY day is a mixture of good and evil. I look forward to stepping fully into God’s kingdom when we shed forever the evil part!