Today marks the 1 year anniversary of my brother's accident. How quickly the time flies. I have been reflective today about what happened and how it affected all of us and me. Normally I don't use the blogosphere to actually talk about things, but this was worthy of mention. Michael challenged us to love one another last year. This year I have a new challenge...
Why is it that we are not happy? As a society, we are not happy. As a workforce, we are not happy. As a people in general, we are not happy. My answer at first had to do with the economy. We are in a recession so we are not happy. Money is tight so we are not happy. But then I realized that even when things are going great people are not happy, I am not happy. A popular actress said on her show last week that she wished something bad would happened to her because then she could justify the way she felt. She was unhappy. Her train of thought really resonated with me...
Sometimes (or a lot of the time) I find myself finding the bad in whatever I am thinking about, talking about, or doing at that moment. Why am I like that? Why are we as a people like that? I know I am making very broad statements at the moment about most people, so I apologize to those who don't understand what I am talking about, but in general I have noticed people aren't happy anymore. It's almost as if there is something missing in our lives.
The Sunday school answer is, that there is a Jesus shaped hole in my heart, and only He can fix it. While that sounds juvenile, it is so true. My brother came back from the brink of death 1 year ago today. Ask him if he is mad about it or why it happened and nothing negative will come out of his mouth. Through this experience he has relied on the Lord for everything. Michael laughs all the time and is happy everytime I call. Why is it that I have everything I could possible want or need and I am not like that? Why can't I be joyful?
I will have to ponder on these questions more to reflect on my life. I know that this kind of thing doesn't change over night, but if I continue to do nothing things will stay the same. Our Christian radio station, KSBJ, has challenged it's members to live a joyful life. To show Christ's love solely through our actions. If Christians act sad and depressed all of the time no one will want to be around them, let alone be like them. I challenge you this year to find joy.
Joy is not the absence of suffering. It is the presence of God.
-Robert Schuller
Joy is prayer - Joy is strength - Joy is love - Joy is a net of love by which you can catch souls. God loves a cheerful giver. She gives most who gives with joy. The best way to show our gratitude to God and the people is to accept everything with joy. A joyful heart is the inevitable result of a heart burning with love. Never let anything so fill you with sorrow as to make you forget the joy of the Christ risen.
-Mother Teresa
I cannot understand why those who have given themselves up to God and His goodness are not always cheerful, for what possible happiness can be equal to that? No accidents or imperfections which may happen ought to have power to trouble them, or to hinder their looking upward.
-Francis de Sales
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