Someone who has a chronic illness told me they wished life could be the way it was before. She had years of happiness; a job, money and friends. All that is gone now. Why couldn't she be happy like that again?
I told her I had years like that too. The years my girls were young were my happiest. My husband and I were healthy and strong. We had good times camping and hiking. Those days are gone for me also. My husband has a chronic illness, I have a mental illness and my dear grandson has died.
I said, "You are looking at the 'Big Picture'. You now have to look at the small joys of life. Didn't we laugh and have fun when we were watching some cooking shows? Didn't we have a great time playing Scrabble? Didn't we enjoy watching that crazy 'Green Lantern' movie?
When life has gone south - it is the small joys of life that can keep us happy. Ask God for that mindset. And reading the Bible, gaining strength, hope and happiness from God is the way to that mindset. I can then look at the even 'Bigger Picture' of God's kingdom and the life I will have there one day. I can see life from God's perspective. This is the 'hope' that the Bible speaks of; the hope of another life with eternal happiness and peace.
