Choosing Happiness

The weekend did not quite go as planned.  Somehow we will make up for it.  Ralph ended up at the family compound for most of the day.  They picked and pressed the apples into cider.  I am glad the family opted to give us a call to come help.  We got 3 gallons of cider.  After we pasteurized the cider, we have about 2 1/2 gallons.  So Yummy.  I got 3 loads of laundry done, one bed made up and two bathrooms completely scrubbed down.  We made it to the football game, but not without problems.  We got to the stadium and realized I had forgotten the tickets.  So I had to go back home to get them.  Fortunately, we live close enough we only missed part of the 1st quarter. 

Today Ralph has taken the vehicle in to the fixit shop.  I am so excited to be able to drive the vehicle without worrying about it falling apart.  Ralph will also attack the honey do list.  He is so patient with me and I love him for it. 

We had this game, while we were growing up, where there was a camel whose legs were set on wheels and this front portion and back portion were connected with some type of spring mechanism. The object of the game was, as you each took your turn, to get as many of your straws onto the camel's back before it broke from the weight of all the straws. Hopefully you planned your move so your opponents would lay the straw that broke the camel.

Lately, I feel very much like this camel. Life has turned into a game where God keeps piling on straws just to see how far Cheryl can go before breaking. I know that is a fairly pessimistic view of life, but that is how I feel. Now, I know that Job was tested this way, but then again I am not entirely convinced the rest of us have to prove our faithfulness by losing everything we have. (I hope!) Another thing I do know is that we were given a plan for "mans happinesss" and that "men are that they might have joy". So where is the joy?

Ultimately, if your burdens are still heavy, if you are still feeling like you are on the dung heap then you haven't turned your issues entirely over to the Lord.  You need to step up the spiritual activities until you truly feel like your back is not longer breaking.  I am a pretty good pretender on the surface and I can involve myself so deeply in activities that there is no time to wallow, but I still carry those burdens.  I have somehow got to figure out how to truly turn them over and have the faith that I, and my issues will be taken care of.

President Harold B. Lee once said: “Happiness does not depend on what happens outside of you but on what happens inside of you. It is measured by the spirit with which you meet the problems of life.”  It will often be necessary for all of us to choose between having a good time and leading a good life.

Oh gracious & Holy Father, give us wisdom to perceive thee,
diligence to seek thee, patience to wait for thee,
eyes to behold thee, a heart to meditate on thee,
and a life to proclaim thee;
through the power of the spirit of Jesus Christ our Lord

Attributed to St Benedict
C 480-C547


I hope that I can make that choice each day - despite what is going on around me.
 
Have a great day!  Ta Ta for now.