Joy At the Chapel
“And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up.” Deuteronomy 6:6-7
Laughter, pure, and hearty. You know the kind—eye-watering, side-hurting-kind. Fourteen girls and boys in a small trailer—Chapel on Wheels. Their joy is infectious. Sometimes it’s nearly impossible to get them to sit quietly or still. But to have this time with them, we choose to do what we’re there to do and pray for the Lord to quiet their hearts.
The other day wasn’t a day for quietness. We had a Bible quiz—boys against girls. Question after question was asked, reviewing lessons in the Old and New Testaments. Candy was the prize and these amazing, funny kids were going for it.
The first round went to the boys, “Yeah!” You can just imagine what went on with that win. After a short lesson on how to be graceful winners they settled down. But, they did not stay on top.
The girls won round two. “Girls rule and boys drool.” By this time I was gasping for breath, The teacher and the other aide couldn’t hold their laughter either.
As I was driving back home I thought over that previous forty minutes. God never ceases to amaze me, teach me, grow me. His lesson for today: Lighten up Eve. So you couldn’t make it to the beach. For today, the time you spent with those boys and girls lightened your heart, just as time at the beach would.
It did.
“You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.” Psalm 16:11
by Eve Montano