joy.

I have two boys that come everyday to the Powerhouse, without fail, they are here EVERYDAY. They are the kind of boys you fall in love with but need those extra prayers of patience that you request each day. Yesterday we handed out flyers together after tutoring at church for our upcoming soccer program. We split up into groups. Of course these two boys and I wound up in the same group. Don't pray for patience my friends or you'll end up in the group with the boys that you love, but pray for :). Usually by hour four with the kiddos you can imagine the state I'm in. But, as we walked the streets of the neighborhood that I'm quickly falling in love with these two boys laughed, continuously with unspeakable joy. They simply look at each other, do some sort of 6th grade boy grunt, maybe say something inappropriate- you have to pick your battles folks- and they just laugh and laugh and laugh. Like one of those good belly laughs, that doesn't end. And, suddenly those prayers for patience turn into joy and you can't help but laugh with them as you realize how full of joy they are. Suddenly I don't care that they are wrestling in the dirt (though I may have laughed at them when they rolled in the dog poop), or walking in the persons grass after asking them two million times not too, but rather I am full of the joy that comes from the smile on their face and the laugh in their belly. We're learning about the fruits of the spirit at the hosue and this was the most tangible life lesson of joy I'd seen all week. Funny how often the students become the teacher.