Countdown to Christmasနမူနာ

Written by Chloe, age 14 from Lilburn, Georgia, USA 

The Christmas season is full of songs, TV shows, and movies that talk ALL about joy. But sometimes, the Christmas season feels anything but joyful. When we are sad, or feel upset, or hurt, it’s probably really hard to experience joy. 

One day around Christmas, my friends and I were outside playing. We were riding bikes when a tree collapsed and hit the powerline next to us. That caused electrical wires to swing all about and struck my friend and me in the face. Fortunately, that was all, and there were no major injuries. It was one of the scariest things that’s ever happened! And even though we were scared and felt anything but joyful in the moment, we were able to look for joy in this scary situation afterwards. We found joy in knowing we were safe and that nobody was hurt!     

What I learned that day was that no matter what you go through, whether it’s scary or sad, or even really great, you can find joy. And God wants to help you experience the joy that Jesus brings, especially during the Christmas season. No matter what you’re going through, you can find the joy that is found in Jesus. All you have to do is look for it!   

So today, look around you. Where do you see joy? Write it down. Take a picture of something that represents it. Text what you observe to a friend, parent, or adult you trust. Keep a list this week of all the ways you see joy around you, and then thank God for them.