Oozing Joy

Oozing Joy

Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy.

James 1:2

In a tumbling roll, Zach-man bounced into the enchanting threes. However, he entered that age pressed down and overflowing with mischief. It did not take long to realize that his personality matched the clown decor of his room perfectly. But that was not always a good thing.

At times his antics bordered on frightening. The worst was the month his lightning-fast hands resulted in our having to call poison control—three different times. It was critical that he learn self-control. A corner was cleared, and often he found himself in it.

This made his older siblings, Jesse and Mykah, anxious. Neither seemed to remember that corner time was the way they had learned how to manage their impulses. All they saw was that time-out meant an interruption in their play.

One morning at the breakfast table, Zach was too rambunctious, and I ordered him to the corner. Before he left, Jesse snapped, “You’re too hard on him. He’s always in time-out.”

Right then Zach spun into motion. It was as if he was the lead in our breakfast play and had heard his cue. He picked up his bowl of oatmeal, and in an aerial feat, firmly planted it upside down on his brother’s head. Gooey oats dribbled down his big brother’s startled face.

Jesse turned his piercing hazel eyes on his brother’s dancing blue ones and squinted. In a low growl he said, “Never mind. Send him to the corner.”

Like a bubbling volcano, laughter erupted from deep inside me. One by one everyone joined in, including oatmeal-faced big brother, as well as the little troublemaker, now facing the corner.

—Sandy Lackey Wright

Father, as time passes, let the trials we face be memories of joy. For we know that what seem like such huge problems now will be but faded recollections in years to come. Amen.