After the Ice Cream Falls.

So I was reading an old high school friend's away message. She was talking about the pursuit of happiness and it said, "Every once in a while yu have to pause from your pursuit of happiness and just be happy."

So that got me to thinking...
(I know.... we're all in trouble when I start thinking.)

Are we pursuing happiness, or living it?

Cause to me personally, pursuing happiness means that I have yet to find and acheive happiness. And to me, that statement is sad. If happiness were not temporary, I would perfer not to be pursuing happiness, but instead to be living happiness. And since bad days happen too, living happiness is inacheivable for an extended period of time. So, looking at things realistically, I would prefer to be living joy.

See, happiness is a fleeting feeling. It's like the feeling you get when you get your favorite ice cream cone (ooooohhh.... ice cream!!!). But if you trip and the ice cream falls, then the happiness is soon tunred to sadness. Joy is looking at the situation realistically and after the ice cream falls, leaving the situation with a smile. Now don't confuse joy with optimism. Optimism is thinking, "Well, at least you got 3 licks of my ice cream before it fell" or "Oh well, there will be other times for more ice cream." But even after a statement of optimism, despite the sound of contentment in your voice, you may not actually be satisfied with the situation. And let's face it, our words can never bring us permanent satisfaction. Only God can satisfy our hearts. So joy, in this example, would be, "You know what, that stinks that my ice cream fell. I really liked that ice cream. But, I'm not going to let it affect the rest of my day. I have still been given this day as an oportunity to praise the Lord, so ice cream of no ice cream... my praise will be continual." Cheesy? You bet.. but come on... the example was cheesy in the first place.. I had very little to work with.... (excuses, excuses) the point is not how silly my example was, but how joy is a continual look at the big picture... a continual look to God, despite worldly situations.

Joy can be and is defined as happiness in all situations. The fuel for joy in my mind is meditating on God's character and my salvation through Christ. Because, then in midst of trials and tribulations, I am continually reminding myself that God has the trump card, I am forever pledged as His child in Christ, and that God deserves all of my praise at all times. That can bring a smile to my face in the middle of the rain.

So I have a question for you...

Are you pursuing happiness,
relying on optimism to fuel you,

or are you living joy after the ice cream falls?