Friday, December 9, 2011

Blessing: a child's Joy and Expectation

I know a woman named Joy and she has joy and I know what expectation is because I have lived a few years on this earth. But tonight I have not seen such joy and expectation in any one person like I saw tonight in a long, long time! Kymigisha Anna's joy was contagious as she floated around the kitchen grinning and exuberant. She has great joy and expectation of Christmas! 
According to her, "This is going to be my best Christmas EVER!" Enjoying her delight and expectation I ask, "Why is it going to be your best Christmas ever?" I wonder to myself what her answer will be, is it gifts, cookies, cake, stockings stuffed with goodies...? Then she joyfully exclaims, "Moma Biira is coming and we will have RICE and we will celebrate Uncle Manweli's birthday (the 25th) and the WHOLE FAMILY will be there!!!"  Me smiling real big, delighted to hear her reasons, no joke, she is lit up like a Christmas tree! No mention of new clothes, or gifts or extravagant food, or candy or anything, just pure delight that her family will be together and that they will celebrate! I jokingly say, you're going to say "Moma Pat who!?" We laugh!

She will enjoy her new shoes and her new dress but it will not compare to being with her loved ones. I am seeing such joy, passion and love in this little child, Kymigisha Anna and it gives me hope. As we read our daily stories for the month of Advent Kym runs to get her Bible. Then she reads so well our passages from the scriptures with only a little help. It's amazing to see her get her Bible with out being asked so she can be the one to read. She also seems to thrive on stability and routine. Thank you God for Kymigisha Anna, thank you for her joy and expectation. Her life is truly a blessing in my life and in her family as her name proclaims! May all of her hopes and joys be fulfilled this Christmas and may she one day have the same exuberant joy for KING JESUS!