"Joy is Untouched by Circumstance"

One of the Christmas cards we received this year was from Children's HopeChest. Inside the envelope was this precious smiling face. Her name is Tulsi and she is a student at the Good Samaritan School. Tulsi is an orphan. She lives in the slums. And God is rewriting her story.

On Andy & the band's first trip to India, they met Tulsi and heard her testimony. After her last surviving parent died, a man clothed in white & surrounded by light appeared to her. He told her not to be afraid, that He would watch over her. And Tulsi responded by writing a song to this Man... she called Him Jesus. Tulsi sang this song to the group after sharing her story.

I've met Tulsi and she give off such an air of confidence, of peace, and of JOY! She works hard at her studies and wants to be a teacher when she grows up. She lives with an uncle & extended family now-- seven people in a small one room house (she's in the video you can find on this blog in the header). She DOES remind me that "Joy is Untouched by Circumstance". Joy comes from finding our identity in Christ, trusting in His work in our lives.

This card, and this reminder, sparked a great conversation with our extended family over the holidays... I hope it sparks reflection for you too.