Today's Thought - Happiness, Part 2

+ 7pm tonight - A Service to Remember Trans-people who have died this year - at Calvary in the Chapel - use the steps that go above the office door to enter.

To say that happiness is a choice is mostly true, but not always. I have known a lot of unhappy people in my life, and most of them were feeling that way for reasons you and I can only imagine. And while we have all had our share of loss and trouble, we also know that there are some who experience more than the rest of us. The death of a child, or a debilitating disease. Abuse in a number of heinous ways. When I come across people who have been through what seems like endless sorrow, I am amazed that they can function at all. And yet, they do; some even find ways to be happy.

A close friend of mine who died a couple years ago was one of those amazingly talented people who brought joy and laughter everywhere he went. We were talking one day, and I said to him, "When I think of you, I think of the song, 'the tears of a clown'" to which I was met with silence. "How did you know?" he asked. I told him that there was something about the way his face changed when he spoke of certain losses in his life. He chose happiness, but the memory of those losses was always there. Some people are better than others at hiding their pain, but one of the things we all have in common - if we live long enough - is the experience of sorrow and loss.? As I told my congregation a couple of weeks ago; we suffer because we breathe. We feel joy for the same reason.

One of the ways I have been able to find happiness is through my work, my friends, and my family. I have tried to surround myself with people who live in ways that affirm life, because there are plenty of people who don't, and they need our help. We all know people who seem to suck the air out of the room - they can drain us of our energy. Instead of shunning them, we should do what we can to help them find ways to see the good, even in the midst of bad experiences. I feel truly blessed that the people I deal with every day are working towards finding ways through the dark valleys of their lives. I also come in contact with a lot of people who can't seem to see the light at the end of the tunnel. They, like all of us, need to find healing and comfort and purpose. It is the rare person who can do that on their own.

Be a light for people struggling in the darkness. Be an anchor for people who are unmoored. And when you are feeling that way yourself, look for others who can do the same for you. We all have times when we are strong and weak; that's why we need each other. That's why we need community. The Apostle Paul said it well - when one suffers, all suffer; when one rejoices, all rejoice. We are called to care for each other, for better or worse. We are always better together.

Prayer - Holy God, You have called us into community. Help us to welcome one another as we search together. Amen.

Today's art is a mural in Glasgow, Scotland. This piece is part of a series on the South City Way Small Grants Fund. This fund was created to inspire community groups and charities to design artworks and gathering places which encourage walking and cycling.?

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