Reason #797

Oh, April! It’s about time you finally made it! Seriously, what took you so long to get here?

 

It’s the time of the year. The dirt is blowing, but the sun is out each day. The likelihood of evening walks increases, and we fire up the grill at least a few nights each week. It’s about that time for dresses to make their appearance despite my paste-y white legs, and it’s time to get my toes polished so I can wear my sandals with confidence. Spring has sprung, even though it doesn’t quite feel like it, and I am thankful it’s here.

 

One of my favorite things about spring is the fact that life is returning to nature. I love seeing trees blooming and flowers growing. If I had a green thumb, or could afford to have a gardener, I’d have my own little secret garden in the backyard. Unfortunately, neither one of those is an option. However, green grass has a way of warming my heart, and so that will suffice for now. After all, we are in a drought and so any color is appreciated.

 

My boss is a really excellent mother to her daughter. She always beams with pride when she talks about her daughter and is so supportive of her. Her daughter got injured playing sports a few weeks ago and is having to sit out the rest of the season. She went to the doctor today with the hopes of being released but it didn’t happen. She was really bummed about this, and so was my boss. As any great parent would, she always thinks about her daughter’s happiness and goes out of her way to ensure it exists. And so today, she called her husband to see if he would take their daughter lunch and said, “See if you could take her a flower or something, too. She could use a little cheering up, and I think that’d bring a smile to her face.”

 

My dad brought me flowers two different times to cheer me up. Both were unexpected and both of them brought joy to my heart. Just thinking about it makes me get emotional. Anyway, I remember both of those days distinctly. He came by the office to bring me little daisies because he knew I needed the encouragement. He knew I needed a little reminder that I was loved, and he wanted me to be happy. He wanted a smile to return to my face, and so he did something he knew would work. Any woman appreciates hand delivered flowers, especially when they are a complete surprise. Both of my parents always went to great lengths to make me happy, and I see God’s love exemplified through these acts whether it be from my own parents or from another.

 

Sometimes I forget that God desires to see us happy. Now, happiness isn’t promised to us, joy is. Yet, I have to believe that our happiness matters to God. Because no one enjoys seeing one they love suffer. And when our hearts break, so does His. And so I have to believe that just like our earthly parents, our Heavenly Father desires to see us happy. In fact, that was the plan before sin stepped in, wasn’t it? Complete joy in His perfect presence. Yet the world has a way of hurting us, knocking us down, disappointing us, and breaking our hearts. The world knows how to bring tears to our eyes and defeat to our spirit. And so sometimes God uses the little things to make us happy. A beautiful sunrise, a colorful sunset. A warm breeze, a field of flowers, a friend who says the right word and the right time, or a song that speaks encouragement directly to our heart. Little pets that stay by our side, family members who help us in our time of need, a reminder of scripture, or a sweet memory of better days. All of these things given to us by the Lord who wants to see His children rejoicing and enjoying life to the fullest.

 

Some days aren’t happy. Some seasons aren’t easy. It doesn’t mean that God isn’t good, and it doesn’t ever mean that He doesn’t care. Because even in the difficult moments, we can find things to smile about. Even in the driest of deserts, He rains down blessings so that we can make it through. And so we have to open our eyes and be aware of what God is doing. Be intentional to search for His goodness, for His generosity, and accept it. You may not feel happy, and that’s okay. Happiness isn’t the ultimate goal. Rather, it’s a byproduct of allowing God to love on your in your most painful moments, and if you choose to let Him do exactly that, you’ll be really happy you did.   

 

#797 - For the happy moments.

 

"But may the righteous be glad and rejoice before God; may they be happy and joyful." - Psalm 68:3