The Day I Chose to be Happy

Sometimes life can be tough, can't it? I was recently waylaid by another person’s unwarranted and cruel actions.

I slogged through weeks of my life trying to get past the feelings of hurt and anger. I believed the verse, ‘All things work together for good to them that love the Lord’. Yet, I couldn’t pull myself out of the abyss I had sank into.

Ever been there?

The truth is, that’s life. The only way to avoid it is to live alone on a desert island. And then we would miss this amazing adventure we call life.

I’m a Biblical fiction writer. My purpose is to encourage others to walk in God’s ways.

One would think I would gain insight and courage from being immersed in the Bible. But no. On this day, I shut my computer down and walked to a restaurant for lunch. Staring out over the French Quarter, I felt like I was being crushed under the weight of despair.

Then, I had a God moment. As I watched people walking by and listened to a musician playing on the corner, something welled up within me.

I thought, “I’m not wasting one more minute of my life being upset about this. God has given me this beautiful day, health, a career I love. All I have is this hour, and I’m going to enjoy it.”

That awakening was as refreshing as a spring shower. I wish I could say that was the end of it. It wasn’t, but it was the beginning of living again. I learned some points that will help the next time life happens.

So what do we do when we find ourselves in a place of despair? Through my mess, I gained some insights to help me crawl back out. And I hope, for the future, to not tumble so low in the first place.

Ask friends to pray for you.

I shared what happened and asked trusted friends to pray for me.

Live in the moment

The truth is, all any of us have is this moment in time. Not an hour from now, certainly not  tomorrow.

Be thankful.

I have the most wonderful husband God ever made. My children are delights to me.

Remember how God has helped you in the past.

Look back on other difficult times in your life and remember that the problem passed.

Happiness is a choice. I can choose to be happy. Or not.

I choose life. And in a way, it gives praise to my creator because I am appreciating this life He’s given me.

I'd love to know what's helped you through your tough times.