Are You Always That Happy?

Last week, I was walking to a session at Polishing the Pulpit with a friend whom I do not see often. Our families used to get together for meals when we lived in Alabama, and it was great to see them again. The wife didn’t know where her class was to be, and I was going to a nearby classroom, so we walked together so I could show her where her class was.

On the walk, she said that she read our blog from time-to-time, and then she asked, “Are you guys always that happy?”

I laughed out loud and said, “No.” I wish I could say, “Yes,” but there are times when life just isn’t easy.

However, the more I reflected on that short conversation, the more one thought came to my mind.

I–nor my family–may be happy all the time, but we can be filled with joy that is unspeakable, even despite difficult circumstances.

Over the past few months, we have been dealing with my dad’s illness. There were days when I was anything but happy, because dad is my hero, and we were extremely scared at times for him (and mom). To say the least, we were not happy when we were talking with them or just considering his health. But we could still have joy. Why? Because if dad’s health turned to the worst and he left us, he would be in a far better place (Philippians 1:23). [Dad is doing much better now, and we are grateful to God for that.]

There are days when Mary Carol and Turner are just too much to handle. Being a parent is so hard, and Leah and/or I struggle some days to raise them as we should. We are not happy when that happens. But, we can still have joy, because God has blessed us with a “heritage” and “reward” (Psalm 127:3).

When Leah and I make a monthly budget, it is not always a happy time. There are some months where we wonder if we will get to do anything “extra” with that money, and then we see people all around us doing all kinds of extras. We are not happy when we think about that. But, we can have joy, because we are blessed by God to have what we have, and because He allows us to be a partner in His work.

…And I guess that joy just bleeds through this blog, because we are not always happy, but as Christians, we walk and live in joy. God has provided us with all we need, and our joy is found in Him.

So, are we always happy? Nope. But, we will “rejoice in the Lord always” (Philippians 4:4). Will you?

QUESTION: What are some unhappy circumstances in which you have still found joy?

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Photo credit: Alex Normand on creative commons

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