One child.... One Smile.... One purpose

I wanted to share a quick "reality check" with all of you and myself especially. About 5 weeks ago, there was a little boy I will call "Billy" (to protect his identity) He comes walking in our childrens ministry at church with his new "foster parent" he has been placed with due to problems in his home. I walked up to him and said "Hi I'm Melinda and you are?" He smiles the biggest smile and says "Billy". I tell him "nice to meet you and if you need anything let me know" he then runs off to play. Now let me explain his appearance. He's around 5 years old almost 6, has the BRIGHTEST red hair you ever seen, His ears are HUGE and stick out and his poor little teeth....they are all rotten and grinded down to nothin. So the week went on and to be honest I didn't think of him at all that week except to list him down on my visitors report. So now fast forward the next Sunday morning.... he he comes running into kids church right up to me and says "Miss Melinda... do you remember me?" and he smiles the BIGGEST smile again. I say "Why yes I sure do" and give him a "quick hug". Again to be honest... I remembered him, who couldn't forget him, but I didn't remember his name at all. So I went searching for kids who had came in with him... asking them "Hey do you know his name?" Finally I get his name and head over to him. Bending down to his level... I say "Billy it's so good to see you again" he then smiles so big and grabs me around the neck" I walked away and shared with my hubby and a few other leaders about this smiley boy. After service I couldn't stop thinking about this little guy.... I find out more about his personal life and of course I can't share that here but that little man has been thru TONS "O" Stuff for his young age. His parents never brushed his teeth and he had been in a very bad surrounding that's why they are like they are. The preschool teacher told me she watched him struggle to eat a cookie pushing it all the way back to maybe 1 good molar. So now fast forward to this past Sunday. Here he comes "running" inside and guess what he was doing SMILING!! He gives me a quick high five and then runs to grab one of the last dodgeballs to play with before service starts. Then I heard it..... kids making fun of him... I walked over with my "Childrens ministry Director" look in my eye ready to "get" the kids that were being mean to him. Then I stopped and listened to him. The kids had said "Eww whats wrong with your teeth...gross... how do you eat?" and he says...smiling the WHOLE time... (opening his mouth as wide as can be) "You wanna see em... it's o.k. they don't hurt me anymore..pretty neat huh?" The kids making fun just had this weird look on their face and 1 said "oh wow" and they walked away... (don't worry I had a nice talk with them later). I learned so much from that little one. I just so happened to be "throwing" a pity party for myself that morning about some battles going on in my life. Well God showed me thru that little guy that "All is well" Who would have thought that one child with one giant smile would serve One purpose....The Joy of the Lord is our strength. Hope this made all of us realize that it is how we react to things is the real key. Are we gonna bull up and complain or smile with all of our pain showing so everyone can see who really lives in us!!!!