A twinkle in the eye means joy in the heart, and good news makes you feel fit as a fiddle.
Proverbs 15:30
My house was a complete wreck, like my body. At forty years old, I’d just had my fourth child, and although the whole experience had been completely exhausting for me, my new baby didn’t seem to require much sleep. At least not at night. Tensions in the family were running pretty high–as high as my energy level was low.
One day my niece Sophia came over to visit. She has perpetually sparkly enormous blue eyes, but on this day I noticed what seemed like an extra measure of twinkle. She ran right up to where I was folding clothes, bursting with the news: “I have a loose tooth!”
Then she proceeded to take my index finger in her small hand, and navigated it toward her mouth, where, indeed, one of her top central incisors wiggled when I touched it. “I can’t believe it!” Sophia continued. “I’m going to lose my first tooth! Can you believe it?”
Actually, it was not totally surprising to me. She was in kindergarten, after all. Many children lose their first tooth in kindergarten. But for Sophia, this was big.
Putting down my husband’s shirt, I looked into her eyes, surrendering to the moment. I began to share the excitement of her news. And as I fully appreciated the magnitude of her joy, a cool thing happened. Some of it spilled over into my heart, refreshing my mind and reviving my spirit.
Of course it was about six months till I got a good night’s sleep, but God kept sending me opportunities for joy–glimpses of Jesus’ loving care in my life–just like He does today.
Faith step: Thank the Lord for good news, however small. How can you celebrate the glimpses of Jesus’s love–and good news–in your life today? Pray that Jesus would make you a joy-bringer in the lives of others, spreading the good news of Jesus’ love wherever you go.
