Joy in Pain

I want to be happy, and I want to laugh. I imagine you do, too, but it isn't always easy in this fallen world. So many bad things happen daily, immediately, in our own lives, in our families, with our friends, in our country and in other countries. It's hard to be happy sometimes, but as I sat at home this morning, sick and watching Veggie Tales to make me smile, I saw in the episode I watched that Madame Blueberry had found out the first step towards having a happy heart: being thankful for what you have. Your neighbors may have more stuff than you, or be healthier, or have a happier family, but there are lots of people who have less than you, are sicker than you, and live in miserable family conditions. (If you don't believe me, just read The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom.)

I was going to write about how self-conscious I feel when I have to take a piece of paper from a pile when others are waiting on me (and I don't deny that it's a really bad feeling and it makes me so sad), but other people have much bigger problems. As crummy and icky as I feel when I fumble around with sheets of paper during the seemingly impossible task of trying to get one separated out of the pile, and I feel the weight of 1000 impatient eyes on me, I am thankful to know that that is just my perceived feeling, and those 1000 eyes, if they are looking at me at all, are looking at me with patience and compassion.