Rejoice
. . .
Saturday
You
have turned my mourning into dancing; you have taken off
my sackcloth and clothed me with joy. -- Psalm 30:11
by
Lauren Terry
You
can hear the music outside the gates of
the compound. It’s hip hop music, resounding from
inside the walls of the building. You know there has to
be a celebration going on inside, and that must be why street
children and other children from the neighborhood are flocking
to the windows and through the back door.
This
is Grace Children’s Center in Nakuru, Kenya, home
to fifty boys, ranging in age from five to eighteen. All
used to live on the streets, and each has a story of being
abandoned, abused, or orphaned by AIDS.
Joseph’s
mother left him at school one day, never to return. Emanuel’s
mother died of AIDS. Anthony ran from an abusive home to
the streets, where he became addicted to glue.
But
the neighbors are flocking to GCC today because there is
a celebration going on.
Thirteen
of us from Seattle are planted on low benches, listening
to the stories of the boys. The stories are heartbreaking,
but absolutely bursting with hope. The boys are smiling,
hugging, crying with joy, thanking their house dads, thanking
the Lord, and thanking us for coming to visit them.
And
right now they’re dancing with all
their might. I’m so rich, the song says, because of
Christ. Their white teeth are in full view as their smiles
stretch across their faces and their lanky bodies move all
over the room. Behind the dancing boys who couldn’t
be more alive today there’s a banner on the wall that
reads “Here’s Hope: Jesus Christ Sets You Free.”
Tears
won’t stop flowing down my face, but I can’t
stop my smile, either. The boys’ joy is contagious.
Within a minute, the Americans are dancing with these boys.
Kenyans and Americans, children and adults are dancing in
sync with everyone else in the room. We are dancing to the
tune of hope. To the tune of freedom. To the tune of healing.
To the tune of joy. O God, I have never been so rich.
Lord
of the dance, your riches are too marvelous for words.
Even in the midst of hardship we praise you that you never
leave us or forsake us. May our lives be a celebration
of our gratitude for your mercy and your constant presence
in our lives. Amen.
An Advent Journey