A Joy Like No Other

Georgia went home crying to her sister Cecilia. "Cece, I was trying to be joyful today, but I can't! I saw how happy my friend was when she told me about her parents' anniversary. It must be easy for her to be joyful since her parents are still together." Georgia looked down, her bronze hair falling in her face.Her older sister tucked Georgia's hair behind her ear. "Yeah, I understand." Cecilia sighed and looked down at her feet. "Do you remember when you were only four years old?""Yeah, maybe." Georgia looked puzzled."You had so much joy," said Cecilia. "I remember one day at summer camp, the playground suddenly grew dark, and rain came pouring down. All the other kids ran underneath the playground equipment for shelter. The teachers started to get nervous as they searched for the kids. But you stayed and danced in the rain with your bright smile shining in the darkness. The kids began to come out from their hiding places and dance in the rain with you."Georgia smiled. "Oh, I guess I do remember that. I felt so much joy, even when it was cold and raining."Cecilia nodded. "And it was contagious! Having joy through trials is like being a light in the darkness, and Jesus says that being a light can lead others to Him." Georgia's face fell downcast again. "But what if I can't be happy right now?"Cecilia put an arm around her sister. "It's okay to be sad, Geo. I am too. It's just like the verse from Psalms Sister Marci read to us in church--'Weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.' God knows that we may be sad for some time about Mom and Dad getting divorced, and that's okay. Just like the rain only lasts for a season, so do our trials. So long as we keep our focus on Jesus and remember that He's with us, we will experience a joy like no other. He understands our sadness and promises to dry all our tears for good one day.""You're right, Cece! I will remember to put my hope in Jesus, even if it's hard."Cecilia turned on her favorite tune and smiled. "Shall we dance?" -Toria Keyes