Don't Worry! Be Happy!

  Each time I see the Daraja Choir perform, I keep waiting for them to break out in the 1980s hit song, "Don't Worry, Be Happy!"  The way they sing and dance, there is no denying that joy of the Lord is certainly real to them.

Having visited both Kenya and Uganda in the last several years, I could argue that most of those children would probably have some worries in their lives.  Will my family have enough food to eat? Will I be allowed to continue with my education after the fifth or sixth grade?  Is there enough clean water for our village?  What happens if I contract malaria from the millions of mosquitoes carrying the deadly disease?  Just a few worries that I might have if I was a kid growing up in Kenya or Uganda…

But these kids…NO WAY!!!!  While I do believe these are real concerns for these children, you would never know it!  They sing, they dance, they love, they worship, they pray…..uninhibited.  It is truly amazing to witness.

 While in Africa, I remember the first time we prayed with some Kenyan ladies.  Their prayers were so beautiful, it was like a song or poetry.  They started with affirmation, followed by thanksgiving, then pleading for the Lord to bless their new American friends.  It was a truly humbling experience.  Many of these women had been rejected by their husbands,  and they were left with all of the children to manage, not to mention all of the daily chores that were now their responsibility.  Yet, they worshipped, they prayed, and they took time to develop relationships with their new American friends.  I certainly learned a lot from those ladies and obviously have much more to learn.

The Daraja Choir children follow the same mold.  After spending just a few hours with these precious ones, they are praying blessings on my family.  What?  It's AMAZING! They love on us, pray for us, and show us exactly what the JOY of the Lord really looks like in action.  (even after they tasted my cooking or lack thereof-)

I could make a list of all of my current "concerns" or worries for the day or the week or the month and so on… ( none of which are  of clean water or lack of food)  But these kids have already learned what Pastor Brad has been trying to teach us.  These kids- with all of their concerns and worries- they have learned what it means to  Thrive….  And I'm convinced it is because they have the joy of the Lord.

Nehemiah 8:10b says, "for the joy of the Lord is your strength."  So often I take my eyes away from my Savior and focus on my worries.  My new goal is to allow the joy of the Lord to become my strength, daily.  Thank you Daraja Choir with special help from Moses, Christopher, and Lindsay for reminding me and teaching me this valuable lesson!

Hakuna Matata! Don't Worry Be Happy! Oh Happy Day!

Check out the Daraja Children's Choir of Africa  http://darajachoir.org