A CHILD’S JOY can be heard in a laugh, seen in a smile, felt in a hug. A CHILD’S JOY can be seen when running, playing tag or skipping rope. A CHILD’S JOY can be heard in a song or when calling out the name of a friend. A CHILD’S JOY should be something we never see fade away!

 “Joy is untouched by circumstance” This is a quote that I saw recently (author unknown).  It made me think of Saturday Sports. Each child comes with their own story, each from different backgrounds and family circumstances. Some are blessed with homes that are filled with love, others come from homes that are broken and struggle at their core. But seeing the smiles and joy that flow out of the children on Saturday mornings makes me thankful that so many people & churches volunteer their personal time to reach and help make Saturday Sports happen.

Children in our neighborhoods look forward to seeing a warm welcoming face and hanging out with the partnership leaders. They are given an opportunity to be themselves in a safe environment with people who love and care about their wellbeing and future. Watching volunteers reach out to each child and laugh and smile while they get to be affected by this contagious joy that takes place at a Saturday Sports brings child-like joy to my own heart.

If A CHILD’S JOY can be heard in a laugh, seen in a smile, felt in a hug, what happens when our neighborhood children do not have a safe place to go to be a kid or don’t have an adult that is willing to love on them and be present in their life?

What happens to the children who are in a neighborhood filled with drugs and gangs… where do they find there JOY?

Is there a safe place for them to go? If we, the Church do NOT step in, they might never see the true joy that we find in Jesus!

Planting seeds of Joy, Love and Hope can be as simple as taking time to skip rope or shoot a few hoops with the kids in each our neighborhoods and  letting them known that THEY matter, and WE CARE about their future.