Simple Joy

I get the privilege of home schooling this shining star! He struggles in school because he has such a hard time concentrating. He needs more one-on-one teaching, and I am so blessed to be his teacher. He enjoys it too, and loves to call me “Teacher Mary”. His name is Trevor, and many days he teaches me more than I teach him!

With him home and the other kids at school, he does miss out on some of the things the other children get. The other day, the children went to pick up their report cards from the school. When they came back, they all were showing off their reports. Some were happy with the results, while I encouraged others to work harder on the next term. Trevor came up to me with crocodile sized tears in his eyes. He declared he had failed school, as he came crashing into my arms. I tried reassuring him he had not failed, but he was convinced he failed. “Trevor,” I made him look at me as I spoke these words, “I am your teacher. I would say if you failed or not. And you worked so hard and learned a lot. You did not fail!” Still he was convinced of his failure. I asked him why he thought he failed, because I could not understand where this was coming from. He said, “I did not get report!” At this point, the tears overflowed from his eyes, and came rushing down his cheeks.

I did what any good Auntie would do at this point. I got up and made him a report card! It was so simple, and I really didn't put much thought into it. I just wrote different things he worked on, and said he did good, which was no lie! He worked hard. Then I wrote to keep trying his hardest, and he will do great. He was so proud of his report card! He packed it around and showed it off to EVERYONE! When I walked into the office this morning, I noticed his little report card sitting on top of all the rest. That little act made such an impact on his heart. The tears vanished, and were replaced with the biggest smile.

Joy comes from the simplest of forms. A little piece of paper with words of encouragement can change the hardest of days into something worth celebrating. Trevor demonstrates this fact in all he does. His spirit is joy, and it comes out in everything he does. He is a dancing machine, and I believe it comes from the joy within him. When he walks into a room, his joy is passed to all. That is the kind of joy every Christian should possess. A sharable joy that spreads like chicken pox! The joy which Christ brings to us needs to reach the brokenhearted, and when we allow that love to overwhelm our lives, the lost find their way to Christ. Joy is so much more than a feeling. Joy is a way of life, and it brings the fullness of Christ to our hearts. Let us grab hold of that joy, and give it generously to all. Let others experience what we have received from Christ.

If something as simple as a little “report card” brings joy to another, then I will continue to do it. Although sometimes those acts seem silly or like they are not making a difference, I want to keep doing them so others will know the joy I have gained from Christ. I lose nothing, but others are able to gain so much more.