Happiness is HARD work. It's NOT a free ride, baby!

Today my poor friend called me up in hysterics as she had just left her divorce mediation, and it did not go well. I felt so terrible for her. And even more so, I was taken straight back to less than a year ago when I was in a similar situation. I know exactly how she feels - scared, hopeless, powerless and confused. I remember well those feelings and there are no words to describe how horrible and bleak they are. It's a terrible thing for anyone to have to deal with. But I was also struck by just how far I have come in these months. Listening to her despair and recognizing that I can certainly empathize, but am truly so far out of that woods that it's just a distant memory is really great. Not that I am reveling in her misery - just that I was struck by the contrast between her situation and mine now. I am so grateful that my life is in such a different place now! And I am even more grateful for the grace God has given me that has enabled me to get through it in a relatively short period of time (generally as these things go, they can drag out for years, as in the case of my friend...). For this, and so many other things, I will be eternally grateful to God, as I know He took control of resolving my life over the past year and put in motion things that needed to happen even though I may not have recognized it at the time.

Anyway, all that got me thinking - I am truly so much happier now than I was "back then" (like it was so long ago), but even now, happiness and faith are hard work. They are choices you have to work at every single day. Even in my "happy place" life where I am now, things happen regularly that could drag me down - a misunderstanding or argument, poor communication, kiddos far away for lots of weeks, stress, uncertainty, etc. You have to CHOOSE to be happy. You have to CHOOSE to have faith that your life has a plan and you don't really control too much of it yourself. And those choices have to be made daily - even more than daily. It's WORK to be happy, but it is oh so worth it. My life is so great right now - I am so blessed - health, happiness, a seriously amazing wonderful new someone, kids coming home this week, no real worries...

But even so, some days I still have to remind myself that I CHOOSE to be happy, I CHOOSE to have faith, and I CHOOSE TO make my life as fulfilling and rewarding as possible. I love my life! I love the new person in it, and I thank God every day for bringing me to this place. A place that just a year ago was unfathomable to me; it is truly just where I belong. Everything happens for a reason, and my reason is abundantly clear right now. But it took a long time of waiting, and FAITH for it to be evident to me.

So try it, make your choice and choose to be happy. Not only will you feel better virtually all the time, bur remember the karma! I'm living proof - how you react and respond to the situations life puts in your path determine your future. And I'm convinced we'll one day be judged on how we handled ourselves in response to others and the challenges we faced throughout our lives. Easier said than done, I know, but really - why wouldn't you want to try?

Say a prayer for my friend - she badly needs it. She's been going though this for a lot longer than I have, and there is no end in sight for her yet. Pray for her strength and for her to find faith and hope - she's lost it along the way.