This morning I was thinking about being happy. A friend asked me the other day if I was happy, especially since my circumstances had changed since I last talked to her. I was single and now I'm married. If she had any idea of how my family circumstances had changed dramatically during the last 4 months, she surely wouldn't have even asked the question. 2021 was a devastating year for my family with a series of unwise choices and unsettling events that would firmly attest to the unhappy state of affairs. Does that wipe out any chance for family happiness? What can I do differently? What would I do differently? What I am suppose to do?
I believe happiness is a state is of being rather than a series of events or circumstances to create a desired state. A state of being is related to the choices I make every day- the habits I form, the character I create through those choices. I believe there are happy choices to be made everyday. I think it is possible to be a happy person swimming in a sea of unhappy circumstances.
Like the plaque hanging on my front door, I "choose happy" everyday. Not only is it a personal choice to choose happy, but I believe I can choose to live the laws/commandments/principles of truth tied to happiness. I choose to make and keep happy covenants. The more of these happy commandments or happy laws I can keep, the more light and truth can fill my body-my very being to BE happy. I crave light. Light makes me a happy person. I want to gather light, gather sunshine, gather happiness every day.
But more than following an endless to do list of happy commandments, I have a testimony of Jesus that sees me through the many hard times- He is my safe place. I choose to believe in Jesus Christ and exercise faith in him. The most important thing I can do to be happy is to strengthen my testimony and seek to be valiant in my testimony of Jesus. As I do so, I draw peace and happiness into my soul-daily. He takes care of my quest for joy and well being. He helps me breathe. He helps me have hope even in great darkness.
Though my circumstances change, though I change, though everything I see changes and crumbles around me, I stand on an island of faith that is firm and unchanging. I am so grateful for the Rock of my Redeemer. I rely on it to keep me rooted in truth- my stabilizing influence to manage my torrent of emotions. Because I know who He is, I have a better idea of who I am and can tap into some of that steadiness. With this steadiness and enabling power of His atonement , I seek to make the happy choices, day after day, to be true to Him. I know as I do so, he daily takes care of my happiness-not a someday I'll be happy- but here and now. I am happy.
Sometimes people get confused when happy choices of keeping covenants and commandments do not lead to happy circumstances. It doesn't make sense to them. Happy choices should have happy consequences-your life should look happy and if it doesn't then you are doing something wrong. But that surely doesn't take into consideration other people's choices and unfavorable events. I can pray for them to choose happy choices, I can pray for their favorable circumstances but sometimes the outcomes are out of my reach. Yet there are things I can still do. I can seek light- always. I can seek truth. I can be obedient. I can love without expectation of anything in return. I can try and help others feel the love of the Lord and reach out in service.
My circumstances do not control my happiness. I refuse to let circumstances or the choices of family members control my happiness. My circumstances do not help me become a happy person. My choices help me become, or be happy. I choose to believe. Though circumstances change, I want to be the same ME that believes in Him and His power to save, to redeem and help me BE a BEING of happiness.
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