The Elusiveness of Happiness
Happiness is fleeting. It seems difficult to attain and when you seem to have it in your grasp, it slips through your fingers as sand on the beach.
My earliest memory of being happy was being held in my mother’s arms as she rocked me to sleep as a very young child. I remember the feeling of safety, warmth, and protection as I drifted off into a slumber.
As a younger person in my twenties, I once believed that all I needed to attain a state of contentment would be the following:
-Enough money to pay all my bills and then even more to enjoy my life.
-A wife and children that would love me completely.
-A large home, expensive cars, wonderfully drawn out vacations. You know…things. “Stuff.”
-I expected great health and I knew that would also make me happy.
-And I wanted to own a large, successful business that I would run as CEO.
There it was, my list of everything I needed to make me happy.
Of course I had my faith as a mass-attending Catholic. I went every week. Well…I rarely ever missed. So, no need to worry about that part of my life. I accepted the “rules” of Catholicism as long as I agreed with them.
Wait a minute…where was the true faith? Where did God fit into all of this? Exactly where I wanted Him to fit. Somewhere in a corner, on a shelf, like that lovely statue you enjoy gazing upon every so often in your favorite room. Yes, there He was…my God…on my shelf. Near me, but not too overwhelming. I had the comfort of knowing He was always there, but it was easy to walk out of that room, into the world, and leave Him behind. He’ll be there when I get back, I believed. He’ll be there if I ever need Him.
And I was happy, for the most part. I was diligently working toward all of my “happiness goals”. I didn’t know it then, but my sin shrouded every aspect of my life – covering it and keeping me content. And evil loves sin. Evil? Yes, there is evil and it is led by the master of all sin, Satan. He will certainly be more than happy to keep us all “successful” and bloated with “stuff”, because he knows that if we are distracted with the things of this world, we will never find our way through them to Christ. As you look at the most “successful” people, you must wonder why they are able to enjoy everything that you feel you should be entitled. Why do their lives seem so good, while yours seems so difficult? A great majority of these people are either atheist, agnostic, or believers who only turn to God when they “need something”. There you are, faith-filled, honest, and hardworking, trying to be a “good person”. Where are your rewards?
That was the place I resided for many years. I felt I was a “good person” too. I felt I was trying to work hard and live a good life. Of course, living a good life meant acting upon desires that led me to sin, but, for the most-part, I was good. Where were my rewards?
As the years progressed, I began to realize what God had been trying to tell me since I was able to comprehend. This life isn’t about the attainment of pleasure. It isn’t about fancy cars, big homes, or lots of stuff. The elusive source of all happiness had always been right there in the corner, on that shelf. When I decided to finally dust Him off, I was able to see something so beautiful, so enlightening, so…good. When I took the time to get to know my Creator on a personal level, He allowed the shroud to be removed and I discovered truth for the first time in my life. I found God speaking to me in His written word and my world opened up into an amazing realization. The happiness that had eluded me for so long…the source and summit of all true happiness…the truth in a world of deception…is the Eucharist…and it had been right there in front of me the entire time.
Jesus asked us to help carry His cross. He wants us to take that walk with Him because it leads to His Father, where we will experience the triune love that bonds the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit into one being that loves us completely.
Take the time to pray to your Creator. In the stillness, allow your soul to bond with the love of Christ. Listen, not with your ears, but with your heart. Feel the love of your Father envelope you. Happiness is not elusive. Happiness is inside of you right now, just waiting to be discovered. And when you find it…when you discover Him…you will smile because you know that there is nothing that will make you happier.
Today, as you open your heart, ask Jesus to fill it with His love. Then smile as you allow others to see Him and hear Him in your words, deeds, and actions. Welcome your Father…welcome happiness.
Geno Capone is author of God Matters, In Everyday Life. More information about Geno and his work can be found at genocapone.wordpress.com and genocapone.com.
