Where Is Your Happy Place?

I got a text from my wife recently. The first line, “At my happy place!” let me know exactly where she was. I knew she had left town with one of our daughters and was going out to eat. When I got her text, I knew exactly which restaurant they (she) had chosen!

Her Happy Place

I knew this because this particular restaurant is the one she and I visit the most often when we are in that area. I knew if she was within a few miles, that was where she was going. The food is healthy, but very tasty. The atmosphere is clean, energetic, and bright. The service is great and the prices are good.

All of the right conditions exist in this restaurant. That is why it is her happy place!

Your Happy Place?

Do you have a happy place? Can you picture it right now? Describe this happy place and why it makes you feel so good. What are the conditions like there? Is it sunny, breezy, warm, but not hot? Are the sounds soothing?

Most of us know what we mean when we talk about a happy place. It might be an actual place (this restaurant) or it might be something in our mind. Regardless, it is a place where the worries of the world fade. Conditions which make us happy are at the forefront.

So, what happens when we return from our happy place? When normal comes roaring back into the picture, what happens to our disposition? Do we change? Does our countenance darken? Are we a little on edge? More than a little?

Does Joy Remain?

Let me ask this from a different perspective. Is your happiness (or better said, joy) attached to, or dependent upon, where you are or the circumstances you are in?

Unfortunately, I think too many of us would have to answer, “yes” to this question. Too often, we allow our joy to be dictated by circumstances rather than coming from within, from our relationship with God.

We stop looking at our reasons for being “here”. We begin to focus on the circumstances that are characteristic of “here”. If we are honest with ourselves, we will admit that there is a serious problem with this line of thinking.

Go Back To Your “Why”

So, how do we change it? How do we fight back against the disappearance of the joy in our happy place?

I think the key is to go back to our “Why”. We have to return, in our minds, to our reasons for being where we are. This is true even when “here” includes circumstances and conditions that we would prefer to avoid.

God Is In Control

That’s because we know that God is still in control. We know that He has a plan for us and that our current “here” is not our final destination. It is only a way station on a much bigger journey.

We must remind ourselves that He has us here and it is for good reason. Until He moves us on, we must find our joy in knowing He loves us and is taking care of us.

Joy Despite Circumstances

We must also make the most of every opportunity while we are “here”. There are people around us watching. They want to know if the faith we claim is any better than going without it. They need to see us full of joy, regardless of the circumstances.

This does not mean we are without grief or anger or frustration. It simply means that they can see something else in us that they do not have. The joy that fills us regardless of conditions around us – that is what they want.

Pray To Find It!

Do we have it?

If not, I encourage you to pray that God would show you how to find it again. He is faithful and will show you where you left it. Try Him. You won’t be disappointed!

Do you have joy in all circumstances – happy place or not?

What typically causes you to lose it most often?

When you lose this joy, how do you normally regain it?