The Question was...

What makes you happy in this life?

My grandfather said something noble; "my goal in life is to outlive her," pointing to my grandma. I sensed the sincerity in his voice. I deeply respect him. My grandmother and him have shared a lot of happiness. They have been sources of joy for each other for over 50 years now. I can see the joy in my grandfather's eyes when he cooks for her. They are beautiful people.

I have been thinking a lot about happiness and joy lately. Differences, similarities, sources. I find happiness in a lot of things. Cooking, friends, family, thunder storms, walking on a warm day that works up a mild sweat, learning languages, learning in general, scoring well on my exams, hearing from old friends, a smooth cup of coffee, and while I was thinking I realized that all of these things are temporary. One day, my friends will betray me or die. My family will die. My grandmother will die. Where will my grandpa find his happiness? One day I might not be able to walk. I'll no longer take exams once I graduate. What if I can't taste anymore? All of these things are fleeting like leaves in the wind. They are carried to and fro with no aim. One enjoys them and then they are gone. There may be happiness, but it is difficult to find comfort or joy in these things.

My conclusion: to be complete, we must find our joy in something that will never fade. Something solid. Something eternal. Temporary things will always fail us. Therefore, I need to find true happiness in God. I thought a lot about this. I wanted to make sure I wasn't tricking myself. One can't find comfort in false comfort, at least not forever. God has to be real if I am going to derive joy from Him. So I spend every day trying to follow Him. I look for Him in the wind and the rain. I'm constantly watching Him. Seeing if He will mess up. Was that earthquake in Japan God's mistake? Or was it with purpose?

I attempt to read my Bible daily. The more I read about God, the more I realize He is unchangeable. He always keeps His promises. He is consistent when I am like a pebble floating down a river. I trust Him more every day. I find what the Bible writes about Him to be true. I see His hand moving in my friends and in my college town and see how He did the same in stories from the Old Testament written thousands of years ago. I thank Him for all that I have, my friends, my house, a daily portion of food, and most importantly for Jesus Christ. And all of my thanksgivings are given to someone eternal, someone who never changes. This brings me joy. This brings me daily happiness. I can truly be thankful and enjoy my friends who will someday die because my thanksgiving and memories are preserved forever with God.