Joy Comes in the Morning | Previous Challenge Entry

how it works

TITLE: Joy Comes in the Morning | Previous Challenge Entry
By Tamara Rodrigues
05/24/06
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We can learn so much about life by watching the young ones around us. I have a niece Zoe who is four and a nephew Jared who is six. I recently spent a week at the beach with them and marveled at the joy they each have.

One afternoon we spent looking for treasures on the beach. We walked along for some time, splashing in the cold water, “tricking” the waves as they crashed around us, and laughing as we got soaking wet.

“Hey Jared, look at that bucket,” I shouted and pointed in the direction. Off Jared and Zoe ran. “Perfect to hold our sea shells,” came the reply from Zoe, smiling ear to ear. We promptly filled that bucket with our “treasures”.

To anyone who did not have the childlike innocence, our treasure bucket was an old, dirty, tar carrying bucket and the parts of shells brilliant with color inside were just broken old sea shells. But to the three of us – they were treasure.

“Hey Zoe, look, there’s a board from an old pirate ship.” And off they ran to grab the wood plank that had washed ashore. Both Jared and Zoe picked it up and carried it back to where I was standing with the seashell treasures. We talked about what kind of ship it could have come off of and imagined wild stories about it.

Jared was first in asking Zoe to walk the plank. “Ahoy matie, arrrgh, off the ship with you.” Then it became a surf board and they both “surfed” on the sand shouting “gnarly dude, we caught a great wave!” And they surfed for half an hour mimicking the ebb and flow of the rolling waves.

As I watched them, I felt God’s presence so strongly. The joy I held at that moment in watching my little ones dreaming with their treasures was only a shadow of what joy awaits us when we give our lives over to Christ.

Christ has told us that we must have a child like heart to understand. Adults can have such a hard time letting go of their lives and letting themselves become childlike. I am here to testify that if you let go, follow your inner child, you will find the joy God has in store for you.

C’mon, let’s go jump in that puddle. Join me, won’t you?

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