My friend Jerrie sent me the following paragraph, so I thought I might just expand on it a touch..

"We convince ourselves that life will be better after we get married, have a baby, then another. Then we are frustrated that the kids aren't old enough and we'll be more content when they are. After that, we're frustrated that we have teenagers to deal with. We will certainly be happy when they are out of that stage. We tell ourselves that our life will be complete when our spouse gets his or her act together, when we get a nicer car, when we are able to go on a nice vacation or when we retire. The truth is there's no better time to be happy than right now. If not now, when? Your life will always be filled with challenges."

When you talk to most of the folks my age sooner or later the subject of retirement comes up and talk of what they plan to do then. When they no longer have to worry about going to work, then things will be different, and then they will have time to do the things that really make them happy.

While thinking about this, the scripture that immediately leapt to mind was Matthew 6:34 where Jesus said, "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." I know we are not necessarily considering worry, but being happy in and with your life, but I believe the principle is the same. Also, notice what James says in James 4:13-14, " Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money."  Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes."

Perhaps the question we need to ask ourselves is, "what is keeping me from being happy?" Am I waiting for some future event that I think will change everything, make everything better, make things different? Am I waiting for someone else to change their life, their attitudes, their likes or dislikes believing that will make me happy?

The psalmist gives us some insight into finding happiness in Psalms 146:5, where he tells us, "Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the LORD his God."

Where is your hope? Where do you try to find happiness? True hope and happiness is based on and found in our relationship with our Lord.

May God grant you true happiness this day and forever!

Messages from the Heart is sent several times each week written by Russ Lawson.

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Comments

Carol Boling Short

+1

 

 

Russ,

I love your new webpage, although as Buckeyes, I thought there would be a cornfield somewhere in the background ~ lol I also love this article and could write a book on the opportunities I lost by wishing for other things instead of enjoying some of what I already had. I couldn't wait to retire with plans to travel and do family tree, only to retire early on disability because of post polio syndrome. Today I wish I could walk like I did when I was younger, today missing the chance to go out and enjoy the sunshine, rain or snow, which I walked in all the time when I was younger. Now I walk very slow, with great pain at times and I have to use a cane but I don't dwell on that, I just keep in mind that when the Lord calls me home, I can leave the cane "at the Pearly Gates", never to use it again and never to suffer the daily pain I do now. I have had a lot of trials in my life but I know God used them to wake me up and make me appreciate what I have and for that, I give thanks.

God bless & keep up the good work. I love your articles :)

Monday 04 May 2009, 13:50

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