If you will wait, you will see that God always brings a good thing after the trouble.  God can turn my mourning (not morning like when you wake up, but mourning like when you cry because of sadness) God can turn my mourning into dancing. 

In today’s Bible lesson from the book of Mark, there was a daddy who was very concerned for his little girl who was so sick she was at the point of death!  The daddy went to Jesus to come help but until Jesus finally got to the little girl’s home, everyone there said “It’s too late. She died.”  Oh, that father began to mourn!  But Jesus went in and spoke to the little girl and she was alive and she got up and walked!  Her daddy’s mourning turned to dancing!He danced with joy with his little girl!

God can turn even the worst time into something good, if you wait awhile.

So it was for Mr. Mawakasunga.  Last week Elizabeth was so very upset when she heard the news that she would not be going to Tanzania with her parents this year.  Aunt Gertrude was coming to stay with Elizabeth this summer.  And Elizabeth cried and cried.  She cried angry tears and sad tears!  She had a storm of feelings on the inside.  Mr. Mawakasunga was concerned that they had made a mistake in their decision.  He worried about his daughter.  He did not want her to have a terrible summer.

But do you know what?  When Aunt Gertrude arrived this past Wednesday Elizabeth danced out to hug her ‘hello’!  And Aunt Gertrude, in her own style, gave Elizabeth a small hug and a smile.  When Elizabeth dances with excitement, even Aunt Gertrude’s stern exterior begins to melt.

And Aunt Gertrude has a secret project for them to work on this summer while Elizabeth’s parents are away.  Out here in the corner of the Mawakasunga’s back yard is this junky area that should be cleaned up.  Aunt Gertrude noticed it last summer and thought someone needed to do a lot of work here.  And she thought that Elizabeth could learn a lot from work on a garden. 

So, Aunt Gertrude and Elizabeth are looking at the junky corner and they are talking about their plans.

“We can use the rocks to make a nice edge for the garden!” said Elizabeth.  “I am strong enough to move those.”

“There may be some big spiders under those rocks.” Worried Aunt Gertrude.  “And I wouldn’t be surprised if there might not be a snake that calls this corner home.”

It will be hard work and they will get really dirty.  And there will be spiders and snakes, but it will look beautiful when it is completed.

If you wait awhile and you do some hard work, a junky area can change to a beautiful garden.  If you wait awhile and you do some hard work, your mourning can change to dancing.  Because God will help!  That is what God has promised!

THE END

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