“Tiny Joys, Big Lessons”
From the Desk of an After-School Program Director
Krisha Gabucci / Next Gen Assistant Director of Elementary Ministries
“This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118:24 (ESV)
If you’ve ever worked in after-school care, you know that kids don’t wait for big things to celebrate. They cheer like it is Christmas morning … because we got four new goldfish. Not a hundred. Four. And they love them so much they argue about who gets to feed them … daily.
But you know what? That tiny joy teaches me something profound: Gratitude doesn’t need grandeur.
Kids rejoice in the little things—the little papers we cut for drawing, a new set of markers, a Lego set found for free on Facebook Marketplace, the magnetic cubes we use to make math less scary, or the fact that Zack (a favorite former staff member) came to say hi and immediately got mobbed like a rock star at snack time.
Lesson 1: Celebrate the Ordinary
Encore, our After School Program got a new bus a few months ago. We hadn’t even ridden in it yet, but every time we drove past it in the parking lot … Full-blown cheering. “THAT’S OUR BUS!”
No seat belts were clicked. No field trip was taken. Just a bus. Parked. And yet—pure excitement.
It makes you think, when was the last time we got that excited about something God gave us that we hadn’t even used yet? A new opportunity. A growing relationship. A fresh start. Maybe we also need to try to learn how to praise in the parking lot.
Lesson 2: Shared Joy Is Bigger Joy
One day, someone donated a new board game. You’d think we won the lottery. They didn’t even read the instructions. The kids made up their own (which were highly questionable). But everyone joined in.
And when I checked out a book from the library from their favorite series? They read it together squished like sardines on the couch. And when a new girl found a book with her favorite animal, a hedgehog, that I promised to read to her, she sat on the couch with it and waited … and waited until I had finished helping every single student with their homework sheets, even the math ones (with the help of magnetic cubes).
She waited for me on the couch, hedgehog book in hand, trusting that I’d make time. We finished right on schedule. Holy moment.
Lesson 3: Small Acts Matter More Than You Think
They remember everything:
When we buy Timbits for someone’s birthday! Best. Day. Ever.
When we rescue Sally the goldfish from the filter (True story … she has the scar on her fin to prove it.) Best. Day. Ever.
When we pop popcorn and everyone gets some! Best. Day. Ever.
When Oakley the golden retriever visits! Best. Day. Ever.
These moments might seem small to us—but they mean everything to a child. They remind me that ministry looks different for everyone, even if it’s done with a glue stick in one hand, a half-eaten granola bar in one pocket, and LEGO people heads in the other.
Kids don’t wait for joy. They live it. They find wonder in new markers, kindness in shared popcorn, victory in finishing homework, and hope in the promise that you’ll read to them—after math, of course.
Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me,” and I think part of the reason is because they already know how to come—fully present, full of trust, and eyes wide open to the blessings we often miss.
Lord, thank You for the little joys—the popcorn, the board games, the happy bus in the parking lot. Thank You for the kids who remind me daily that You are in the ordinary. Help us all slow down and celebrate like they do. May I never be too busy to notice the miracle of small things. Amen.