Bringing Joy

 

Mandy Fish and her son, Vaughn, live in Gillitts, South Africa.  She is intentional about modeling and teaching what she calls “kindness of the heart.”  A few months ago, they met Tony at the Caltex station next to the fire station.  Vaughn was sick, but within a few minutes Tony had the boy smiling and laughing.  Since this is the station they use most often, Vaughn looks for his new friend every time they go.  Tony listens to his young friend as he talks about the bikes that his mother hauls to Giba and back.  Once Tony mentioned to Vaughn to be on the lookout for a reasonably priced bicycle for him.  Vaughn had been saving money for a “holiday.”  One night he approached his mom and asked her if she really wanted a holiday.  When she asked him why, he responded, “I would rather put my savings towards helping Tony get his bike.”  The next day, they opened his bank, took the money to Game, and purchased a bike for his friend.  Mandy expressed, “A vacation is good, but being a blessing to others is worth so much more than money could buy.  Our children make us proud on so many occasions but today my heart and his is so full of the joy at the kind man’s face as he, rather stunned, accepted his gift from this 10-year-old boy.”  Mandy reminded Vaughn, “Keep being kind and generous with your time and money and remember bringing joy to others can bring just as much joy to yourself.”

Franz Kafka was walking through a park in Berlin when he spotted a young girl crying because she had lost her favorite doll.  Franz helped the girl search for the doll, but was unsuccessful.  He promised to come to the park the next day to help her look again.  When they still did not find the treasured doll, Franz handed the girl a letter from the doll which said, “Please don’t cry.  I took a trip to see the world.  I will write to you about my adventures.”  Every time they met, Kafka would read about the great adventures her doll was experiencing.  Eventually Franz bought a new doll for the girl.  The girl immediately said, “It doesn’t look like my doll at all.”  Then Kafka handed her another letter from the doll which read, “My travels have changed me.”  She picked up the doll, hugged her, and took her home.  Later that year, at the age of 41, Franz died.  When the young girl was an adult, she found a note that had been tucked inside the doll.  The letter was signed by Kafka and stated: “Everything you love will probably be lost, but in the end, love will return in another way.”

 

May we, too, be willing to invest our time, money, and resources to find ways to bring joy to others.

 

 

Do everything in love.

1 Corinthians 16:14