What makes you happy?
Many years ago, I read a book called Happiness Is A Choice - A Manual on the Symptoms, Causes and Cures for Depression. Written by two psychologists, the book described how to change the way we think to avoid depression. Since I was going through recurring periods of depression at the time, I was seeking happiness; freedom from the dark clouds that hung over my head.
What I learned at the time was that I needed to foster relationships - first with my heavenly Father and then with others who would hold me accountable and love me unconditionally as I changed the way I thought about myself. With the help of my Great Counselor, I learned that there were strongholds in my heart where Satan's lies held my heart hostage. Though I knew what the Bible said about me - who and what I was supposed to be as a child of God, I had difficulty believing it at the core of my being.
I wish I could say that it was an easy process. It wasn't and I still struggle at times. But it has been rewarding. My relationship with my heavenly Father is deeper than it has ever been. I have learned to "delight" in him, to seek him out to know his presence in my life - not just for the things he can do for me but for who he is. I know what it's like to be his daughter, and to know his love - even when I have spiritual temper tantrums. LOL!
As our relationship has deepened, my Father has given me my heart's desire. No, not material possessions, but a joy that comes from him that makes me feel loved, whole and at peace in my heart. And he's given me friends who care and pray for me.
Though situations look difficult around me, and by all appearances, they will get more difficult in the days to come, I can choose to be happy by burrowing in to my Father's arms and listening to his heart beat. There he will give me what I desire most - the confidence that I am loved and cared for, no matter how the storm howls outside.
So, what makes you happy?
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