When I think of the word “happy”, I can’t help but think of a chant we taught the kids at VBS one year.
Are you happy? Yeah, man! H-A-PP-Y! Woo!
Of course, we couldn’t let them chant it just once. We’d always follow their chant with “I can’t hear you?” and make them say it louder and louder. Poor kids.
Chapter Four of Behind Those Eyes by Lisa Whittle gives a vivid description of a lady who is often nothing but a mirage, an illusion, a sham, and I am completely guilty of supporting the lie.
In this step-on-my-toes chapter, Lisa describes the crafty tactics of Ms. Happy. I would be so bold as to say that they are really the tactics of the evil one who is constantly trying to find ways to distract us from our true Focus–Christ.
- You Can Make Yourself Happy
Let me tell you a little secret….I have a little addiction to self-help books. I stick to the Christian section for the most part, but my shelves are overflowing. Let me see…from my desk chair…here are just a few of the topics resting haphazardly on my bookshelf.
*Restoring Order w/o Becoming Hitler
*Five Easy Steps for Organizing Your Whole House in Five Minutes
*Making Kids Mind Before You Lock Them in a Closet
*How to Lose 20 Years of Weight Gain in 20 Days
*52 Ways to Say ‘Smile! God Loves You!’
*The One Prayer That Covers EVERYTHING!
*How to Train Your Husband to Clean up After Himself (and You!)
Now, you know I’ve taken some liberties with those titles, but the fact is, if I’m struggling with something, I am a sucker for the newest book about it. Books are wonderful. I’m trying to get my first book published as we speak! But, truth be told, none of the books I have bought have fixed my problems. I’m still disorganized, messy, overweight, and my husband and kids just flat out don’t always act how I want them to!
I can remember one day when I was sitting in my house that looked as if a tornado had blown through it. My best friend’s parents popped in for an unannounced visit to find me sitting in my recliner reading a book about housecleaning! I felt pretty foolish, let me tell you! That’s pretty much like reading a diet book while eating fried chicken.
Fact is, even if I took the nuggets of knowledge I gleaned from even a few of the books I have read and truly applied them, I would not find happiness. Happiness is not in a clean and organized house, a trim body, or a picture-perfect homelife.
- Someone You Love Can Make You Happy
As a chronic people pleaser, my goal in life is often to make other people happy. I go out of my way to do those little extra things to make people feel special.
Unfortunately, my true goal is to earn the approval of others. Do I want to make people feel encouraged? Of course! My motives for service are often pure (at first).
Then Satan bombards my mind with a million thoughts: Will she like the card I sent? I hope she calls. Let me check my email for blog comments just in case one appeared in the five minutes since I last checked my email!
It’s absolutely pathetic, and I hate it!
Receiving kudos, positive feedback, or gratitude is wonderful. We all need a little pat on the back every once in a while. But, I crave it so badly that I can become consumed.
Trust me, I will be delving into this issue with my shiny new counselor (tomorrow is my 2nd app’t). I’m SO ready to learn how to take those pesky thoughts captive and find the right balance in my life regarding approval from people.
- Something You Have or Do Can Make You Happy
In the chapter, Lisa shares some statistics that should be staggering but don’t surprise me at all.
It seems a World Happiness Survey was given, and America, the land of plenty, ranked 46th on the list. Ranking highest was Bangladesh, one of the poorest countries in the world. I completely “get it.” People from poor countries tend to live simple lives–no mind-numbing technology, no drive-thru windows, no glossy magazines with air-brushed bodies…their days are filled with finding food for the table, an honest day’s wage, and family safety and wellbeing. Everyone pitches in to help the family make ends meet. Schedules aren’t rushed with soccer practice, piano lessons, manicures, and hair coloring.
Our family is blessed with a beautiful home (messy, but beautiful nonetheless). We have all kinds of gadgets to keep us entertained and in touch with the latest trends. In American standards, we have it all! But, we also have a mound of debt and not always enough money to pay the bills. They say that money trouble is one of the greatest causes of stress for Americans. I’m feeling it, believe me! Having things may bring momentary moments of glee, but they often cause more harm than good.
Happiness truly is fleeting. In the last week, I can remember several “happy flashes” that brightened my day: when I found four pairs of shoes at Marshalls for under 100 bucks, when my youngest son patted me and said, “Mom, is there anything I can do for you?”, when my BFF Michelle brought apple streudel pie a la mode because “she felt like dessert and coffee” and wanted to share it with me, when I climbed into bed last night into freshly changed sheets, when I witnessed a fellow teacher receive an extreme home makeover on TV, and when I got up this morning and had clothes to choose from in my closet because of the hours I spent ironing last night.
Those little moments of happiness come when we least expect them, and we shouldn’t discount their value. They are like the cherry on an ice cream sundae or the sweet dream at the end of a good night’s sleep.
The danger comes when we live for those moments of happiness when what we really need is unshakable joy.
Joy remains in the most difficult of trials–when cancer attacks, when husbands leave, when children stray, and when loved ones pass away. How can that be?
Joy is an internal sense that all is well because Jesus is at the right hand of the Father forever interceding for us. (Romans 8:34)
Joy is knowing that God only allows pain into the lives of His children when the purpose will outweigh the pain.
Joy is resting in the truth that God has a definate plan for our lives–plans to prosper us and not to harm us…plans to give us a hope-filled future. (Jeremiah 29:11)
Happy Harbor is nice, but we all know that hurricanes happen to harbors sometimes!
I’ll stick with Joy Junction where I meet up with Jesus and find rest.
Lord, with all my heart, I want to live in fullness of joy. 2008 has been a year of mourning for me, but I know you promise to trade our mourning with dancing. I know my rhythm gets a little off sometimes, Lord, but keep working in me. May my joy be evident at all times and a blessing to Your heart. In the name of Jesus I pray, Amen
