 “If you’re not happy now, you won’t be happy then.” I hear God speaking these words in my heart. And honestly, I don’t want to hear them.
I always want more. I always want something better. There’s always room for improvement. And as soon as I get what I think will make me happy, I’ll start looking forward to something else. Here’s an example: getting married will make me happy. That’s what I think. But as soon as it happens, I’ll quickly find a whole new set of struggles. I’ll quickly realize that it doesn’t make me truly happy. I’ll only want something more. Kids. A nice home. More ministry opportunities. I’ll be just as unsettled then as I am now—unless, of course, I acknowledge the real source of my happiness. And before people ask me, I’m not getting married yet.  As an avid coffee drinker, I know what makes a good cup of coffee. It all begins with a good brand of coffee grounds. I prefer McDonald’s. Then, there’s the coffee maker. The better the coffee grounds are filtered, the better the coffee tastes. But there’s one more requirement for a good cup of coffee. It’s the mug.
The taste of the content depends on the container. My dad always drinks his coffee from a Styrofoam cup. I don’t. Why? Because I don’t like how it makes my coffee taste. I prefer traditional mugs. When I’m home, I usually drink from one of two different mugs. One is my Bible verse mug. The other is my Clearwater Beach mug. And honestly, I drink more coffee from my Yeti than either one of those.  I’m learning to enjoy my life. It sounds crazy, but there are times when it doesn’t come naturally. The same is probably true for you.
How do you enjoy your life when your life isn’t ideal? It’s hard to be happy when it’s natural to be sad. It’s hard to smile when it’s natural to cry. And it’s difficult to enjoy your life when circumstances weigh you down. Nonetheless, I believe it’s possible. I’m sitting on a bench. The sky is dark. The breeze is cool. It’s a beautiful evening here at Ohio Christian University. I’m enjoying this moment. It sounds contradicting. My transition to college has not been easy. Some of my circumstances are not what I prefer. But I’m learning to enjoy my life. More specifically, I’m learning how to be happy in this season.  Last Tuesday, I auditioned for a worship team. I played my guitar and sang. I felt confident about my audition until I had to sing harmony.
I struggle with harmony. It’s difficult for me to mesh my voice with others because I’m so accustomed to leading songs on my own. Believe it or not, this isn’t a message about music. It’s a message about life. There are times when God messes with the rhythm of your life. You’re dancing to the beat. Tapping your foot. Clapping your hands. Until, all of a sudden, God grabs a drum stick and starts a new rhythm. That’s what He is doing to me.  I enjoy tasting samples of food. There’s something special about those tiny clear cups and miniature spoons. The portions leave much to be desired, but their purpose is to whet the appetite. Ideally, the customer enjoys the taste and seeks the actual portion.
The only way to like a certain food is to taste it first. For example, you don’t know if you like chocolate if you’ve never tasted chocolate. Appetite is a consequence of taste. There are many foods I’ve never tasted. Consequently, I don’t know if I like those foods or not. I don’t have an appetite for those foods because I’ve never tasted them in order to know how good or bad they are. |