Happiness is...

There it was again...decidedly one of the most superficial billboards I'd ever read in my life. A popular fast food chain had the audacity to proclaim "Happiness is...$1-any-size soft drinks" in big, bold letters next to an image of a large Styrofoam cup undoubtedly full of all the empty calories you could want for a dollar.

I was immediately struck with the idiocy of the notion: Happiness is a $1 soft drink? Who do they think they're kidding? If that were true then the whole Revolutionary War probably actually started over soft drinks not tea, since we were simply trying to guarantee "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." $1-any-size soft drinks--was that too much to ask of the British?

Well, the pursuit must be over; anyone in the United States can afford a $1 soft drink--any size, no less! By the logic of this fast food chain, literally the entire United States should be devoid of suicides, heartbreaks, and sadness. All you have to do is run down to the store for a $1-any-size soft drink and--presto!--the world is rosy once more.

Newsflash: We are not all happy. Not even if we've guzzled ten"$1-any-size soft drinks" in a week (or maybe especially not then). In fact, I would hazard a guess that the vast majority have significant amounts of unhappiness that not even a gallon of soft drinks for ten cents could negate. Though some may attempt to drown their sorrows in any number of things, from food and drink to clothes, cars and houses, many will testify that none of it produces any more lasting happiness than a $1-any-size soft drink.

That doesn't mean happiness can't be found--it just means it isn't in material things. To put it in the words of a song by Ira F. Stanphill,

“Happiness is to know the Savior,
Living a life within His favor,
Having a change in my behavior,
Happiness is the Lord.”

King David would have agreed: "Happy are the people whose God is the LORD!" (Psalm 144:15) I guess that children's song back in primary class had more depth than at least one multi-billion dollar advertising department.

Notice that the psalmist doesn't say life will always be rosy. He doesn't say we will never have trials and difficulties. He simply says that we can have happiness as long as we have God--because happiness is the Lord.

He fleshes out this philosophy a bit more in Psalm 16:8, 9: "I have set the LORD always before me; because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices; my flesh also will rest in hope."

I'm glad that even when I don't feel happy, knowing the Lord gives me hope to know that happiness is mine, and it doesn't even cost a dollar.

"Don't catch me..."

The four little girls were thrilled when I suggested we take a quick trip to the park before doing our Bible study, and even more excited by a game of "catch me." It consisted of them climbing as high as possible on the the climbing tower and taking turns jumping off into my arms (yes, my limbs and back complained about it loudly the next day).

After one child got bold enough to accomplish the stupendous feat of leaping the short distance to the ground alone, Carrie* decided she would try it too. As I stood with arms outstretched, she waved me away, saying, "I'm going to do it by myself." I smiled and moved to the side; she fidgeted with obvious trepidation, preparing to jump.

Looking at the ground, then back at me as I moved closer to allay her fears; her blue eyes large with concern, she appealed, "Don't catch me...but don't let me fall."

How can children be so unintentionally profound? For the rest of the evening that sentence kept churning in my mind. While her statement seemed humorously paradoxical, it made me think along more serious lines.

It seems to sum up those independent prayers we pray, when we come to God with plans of our own design, asking more for His approval than His direction. We boldly declare, "I'm going to do it by myself," but a little voice somewhere cautions that maybe we really do need Him, and so we compromise a bit, bravado yields slightly to timidity, and we add, "Don't catch me...but don't let me fall."

Perhaps, as I did with Carrie, He smiles at us and thinks, "Exactly how did you have in mind for me to that?" And that is when He says to us, Without Me, you can do nothing. If you don't let Me catch you, you will, inevitably, fall.

We studied the Easter story and talked about the meaning of Jesus' death and resurrection. The youngest girl clambered into my lap and, not understanding the discussion, looked up at me and simply stated "God loves you." I smiled at her and replied, "He loves you too."

How can children be so unintentionally profound?

*Not their real names.