What About Today
Yesterday was cool and cloudy. Toward late afternoon early evening we had hail. Some rather large sized hail stones at that.
Last Sunday, the 21st, was idyllic and warm compared to this Sunday. They were both good days to spend with family and friends in worship and praise of God.
I am reminded of a book I read many years ago, The Magic Garden, written by Gene Stratton-Porter, it was about a small girl with very wealthy parents.
The parents had lots of money but no happiness. They weren't happy with each other or anything else. The two children are unhappy—no one is happy here. They are all looking for happiness in wrong places.
The small girl on her daily chauffeured foray into the world, pays the driver to allow her to sit on a large rock in the midst of an empty pasture...
She has set him up for this happening. He, as his habit is, falls asleep and she makes a break for it.
Looking for happiness. Another true story I've been told about a young man back during a financial bubble market. He was at the top, working for a company, making a good salary, driving a fabulous car, he's living the good life. Then he realizes it's all going south.
No problem, he thinks, I'll find another good job...but he doesn't. At some point, in driving around the country looking for the good job, he must abandon the car. He ends up sleeping on his sister's davenport in her small mobile home.
No money, no job, no hope, no one wants to hire him. His credentials put him above their pay scale. He just wants a job.
At last he gets a job flipping burgers, then gets another part time job at a zoo, scooping poop. He finds someone who will give him a break and he buys a couple acres of land with a shack.
Bit by bit he starts raising his own garden, gets a few animals, starts living simple, but at the end he's happier than all his fancy-dancy big bucks lifestyle.
Finding what's important. In the book, Magic Garden, there's a catalyst. When the father, loses his daughter he realizes where his true fortune lies.
In real life, there are times that try the soul. If people would only wake up without the soul being tried type of adjustments, but they often don't. Worst is, that they often don't even after the adjustments.
I wouldn't recommend losing everything to learn the lesson of happiness. There are many good lessons to learn by reading the book by Stratton-Porter.
Happiness isn't something to be caught or bought. As Charles Spurgeon said: "Nothing teaches about the preciousness of the Creator as when we learn the emptiness of everything else."
