When the Tears are Gone

Most of the time it's fairly easy to be happy - for a time. It's easy to get a few laughs from your favorite tv show, get a smile from your the one you love, or even get a quick fix from a bottle. Some of these things bring happiness which is not, in and of itself, necessarily good or bad, but real happiness is easy to spot. It's those times when you are so overwhelmed with happiness that tears well up in your eyes and flow like there's no tomorrow. It's Miss America being crowned. It's holding your first born in your arms. It's getting the news that the cancer is gone. It's winning the lottery. It's the look on his face when you say "Yes, I'll marry you". It's your son or daughter going off to college.



These are the moments that come by the pinch into our lives and make life really worth living.
Some who know and love God have those tearful moments whenever the love of God comes flowing suddenly and you feel so moved by it that you can't help but cry from the sheer joy of it. We call those moments "mountain-top" moments. Those moments are wonderful, but what happens when the tears dry up? What happens when the crown gets dusty and the wrinkles show up? What happens when the baby just won't shut up at 2 in the morning? What happens when the love of your life falls into a steady humdrum? What happens when everything falls back into the everyday norm again?
The fact is that life happens. Things tend to become boring again very quickly as the "newness" wears off and we realize that our spouse doesn't always make us laugh. Our children aren't always going to do the right thing, the lotto money ruined our lives, and even those mountain top episodes fade quickly.
So what is it that keeps us from becoming depressed and feeling like we've been let down? These are the times when it becomes important to deny oneself. Yep, I said it. DENY YOURSELF. Realize that your spouse, your children, your parents, your boss, and yes, even God are not here to entertain you. Those people are not even there to make sure you are comfortable. John F. Kennedy once said, "Ask not what your country can do for you, but ask what you can do for your country". I believe this goes for all things. Ask what you can do for your spouse, for your children, for your friends, your boss, and yes, your God. As you begin to serve others instead of yourself, you will open up new channels that you never knew existed before. By doing this, you can renew your joy in all things daily try it for yourself and see how your love toward others can turn quickly into receiving the same from others.

Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it. - Luke 17:33

Man O God