"Happy"

Everyone wants happy,

And strives to make it so,

Fill their lives with many things,

They rarely get it, though.

Or maybe they don’t realize,

When the party comes to them,

They don’t see it happening,

Their vision’s just too dim.

I had a friend named Dr. Box,

Lived to a hundred two,

And one thing that he taught me,

No matter what you do,

Live right in the moment,

Be happy and rejoice,

You don’t have to wait for it,

It boils down to a choice.

When happy times are happening,

Enjoy and thankful be,

Grab that joyful moment,

‘Cause it is fleeting, see.

And when times are not happy,

By God’s grace find a way,

To raise your heart and praise Him,

And do it every day.

Never take for granted,

When healthy beats your heart,

Or dismiss with impatience,

Those who do their part,

To help you live on purpose,

That’s what my friend would say,

A loving word of caution,

To help me on track stay.

The secret to our happiness,

Is speaking truth in love,

It’s truly the foundation,

And when push comes to shove,

The happy times aren’t happy,

Unless we have what’s true,

Coupled with a lot of love,

The happy flows right through.

So thank God for the happiness,

Every time it comes,

And celebrate His truth in love,

For each and every one.

“Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances…” (2 Thess. 5:16-18, NLT)

Someone has said, and I think it’s attributed to Abraham Lincoln, that we are about as happy as we choose to be. Whoever said it, there’s a lot of truth in it, don’t you think? We are not at the mercy of our circumstances or even our moods. Not really. We can proactively choose to elevate our mood and do things that alter our chemistry. One of those things is intentionally giving thanks. But what if we can think of nothing to be thankful for? How about God’s truth, which sets us free, and God’s love, that heals our lives. Choosing to be thankful in every circumstance, no matter how we feel, becomes a catalyst for great strength and blessing. It also becomes a habit that serves us well as we navigate life. The whiners and complainers of the world will never understand it because they don’t want to. They would rather curse the darkness than celebrate the light. But we will rejoice.

Lord, help us to find happiness by choosing to be thankful, and celebrate Your truth and love, in Jesus’ name.

Art by Joel Phillips, used by permission. Thanks, Joel, and God bless you.