Cheerfulness Plants Seeds of Hope
The
little girl held closely in the arms of the social case worker was being
delivered to her first ever foster home which happened to be my neighbors. The
shouts and laughter of the children playing in the front yard of the big yellow
farm house caught her attention and she slowly tried to turn her body to get a
better look. Try as she may, she was unable to even lift her head up, though
she would soon be turning one year old.
This
poor child had lived in disastrous circumstances from birth where her mother
left her for days on end in her crib. This left her with no muscle strength to
lift her head, sit up, or even crawl as children should naturally do.
When they were discouraged, I smiled at them.
My look of approval was precious to them.
Job 29:24 NLT
I
watched as my neighbor smiled through her tears and reached out to take the
child into her loving arms. God was giving this precious child a second chance
coming into a home filled with unconditional love. Where smiley faces were not
just painted on the play room walls, but were naturally displayed on the faces
of the whole family every day.
A
cheerful look brings joy to the heart...
Proverbs 15;
30 NIV
The
little girl lifted up her head quicker than was predicted. Soon she was crawling,
smiling and thriving much faster than the doctors expected.
The case worker was
incredulous and called it a miracle. It wasn’t an easy road to success, but it
was paved with love and cheerfulness. Medicine is good but cheerfulness from a
godly heart will plant seeds of hope in every weary heart.
That
was five years ago now, and the little girl is no longer a foster child. My
neighbors adopted her as quickly as they could. She is in kindergarten, smart
as can be and her teacher says, “This child never quits smiling, she lights up
the whole room!”
“A
smile is rest to the weary, daylight to the discouraged, sunshine to the sad,
and an antidote for trouble.” Author Unknown, from Angel Kisses by Sandra Kuck
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