I woke up on this Advent day thinking about the children of the Brighter Days after school program at Edgehill UMC and how much they have come to mean to the tutors and volunteers who work with them. At the closing program of our Vacation Bible School this summer, I sat at a table with some of these children. They were all smiles and enthusiasm; it made me happy to be in their presence. No wonder people show up to be in their presence each week and to share in their journey of learning and growing.

Several years ago, a pastor friend told me a story about a tutor in a program much like Brighter Days. The tutor was making plans to receive a visit from her mother. She had grown up in a dysfunctional family with the mother always making promises and breaking them. As an adult she had tried to make peace with her mother and build a renewed relationship. As the time of the visit neared, the mother called the woman and told her that she was not coming after all. Faced again with the disappointments of her childhood, she became depressed and called the pastor to tell her that she was not emotionally up to tutoring that week.

Then she realized that cancelling her time to tutor would disappoint the child with whom she worked week after week. She pulled herself together and went to the after school program. The little girl she tutored could tell that something was wrong and said, “You need to swing.” She led the woman outside to the playground and the swing set and invited her to sit in the swing. She pushed, and the woman moved back and forth a little. The little girl said, “Swing higher!” and the woman’s feet began to remember the familiar back and forth that would propel her higher. “Higher!” the little girl cheered. Soon she was swinging high, feeling the breeze in her face, and the freedom in her heart—releasing all the sadness that had been growing within her.

We always receive more from children than we could ever give them. We have a wonderful opportunity to share our gifts with the children of Brighter Days through the Christmas Miracle offering this year, and in doing so our hearts will be filled with the joy and the freedom of God.

 

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