Holiday-not, but a Holy Day

It was supposed to be our day off. It was a holiday to boot. Yet, here it was, Monday, and our house was a rather noisy place with children playing and having a good time and some youth practicing guitar.

It started on Sunday afternoon. I was chatting with some of the neighborhood kids outside our home. One of them, Jill (not her real name), mentioned that the next day was her 10^th birthday. So I said that since it was her birthday, she should have a birthday cake. And then I suggested that she could come and help make a cake.

So three kids showed up about 10:30 am and Ingrid began the cake-making instructions.

 
 
After the cake was in the oven, we had them read the creation story from a simplified Bible story book, designed for English learners. Then I taught them how to play Uno, which they caught onto quickly and had fun playing—especially after the second hand in which I had two 50 point and three 20 point cards left in my hand.



We took a break for lunch while the cake cooled, and then the three were back, plus one other, for the decorating. One of my guitar students was there (an hour early), but he seemed to enjoy the cake decorating as much, if not more so, than the others. He was pretty good at it, too.

 
 


And then the kids made themselves at home—playing with the guitars, tambourine and drum and singing some Christian songs that they had learned in kids club. (I did forbid use of the hula hoop inside.)



Eventually Ingrid carried some cake to Jill’s house while I continued with the guitar lessons. She discovered that as chaotic as our place had become that day, it was even worse at Jill’s place—maybe that’s why she likes it at our place.  And one of the participants in the day’s activities was sure to remind us that his birthday is in March.

After the guitar students left we were exhausted, but glad that we could provide some constructive activities for their day off from school.

This is what are life is often like here—things don’t always go as planned—sometimes they even go better.  And while we could have used a day off to rest, it’s always in season to show some love to our neighbors.  And the cake was good, too.

But Jesus said, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are like these children.” –Matthew 19:14 (NLT)