My freshman year of college, one of our dormmates delivered the same line every single day when asked how he was: "Better than ever!" Perhaps life truly was that good to him, but none of us believed so. We saw his words, and the stupid smile which accompanied them, as a performance. Maybe he was trying to impress us. Maybe he was a devotee of the cult of positive thinking. Either way, Happy Guy's greeting came across as fake. And whenever I consider the nature of happiness, his is the first voice I hear.
Wealth. Power. Fame. Security. Amusement. The world wants us to be happy, and it has taught us that these are the quickest paths to the prize. Unfortunately, the only reward to be found at the end of those rainbows is a cheap high. The exhilaration might be superb, but it always ends too soon; leaving you desperate for another fix. Happiness is fleeting, and the perfect gift for a fickle master to dispense to its loyal subjects.
Our Parent, on the other hand, desires something very different for us. Something messy and disturbing; where doubt, pain, and fear walk hand in hand with faith, hope, and love. They show us the cross, then ask us to carry it with Them to places unknown, no matter the cost. And if you say yes, you will taste and feel something wonderful, something that might occasionally resemble happiness, but only from a distance. You will know deep in your heart and soul that you are walking the road They created you to walk. In short, you will know joy. And nothing will ever be the same again. Alleluia! Alleluia!