Weekly Magazine | I Would Be Happy If...
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I Would Be Happy If…
By: Arlene Pellicane
When my daughter Lucy was three years old, she dreamt of going to Disneyland. We had told her we would be visiting Mickey and Minnie Mouse soon. Of course, she did not want to delay one second! “Are we going today?” she asked with great excitement.
“No, we are going next week,” I replied.
Every morning that week, Lucy would wake up and immediately ask, “Is today tomorrow?”
I laughed and told her, “No, today is not tomorrow yet.”
The day finally arrived. When Lucy asked her question, I replied with joy, “Yes! Today is tomorrow!”
In the same way my three-year-old wanted to experience the fun of tomorrow right now, we sometimes dream wistfully of tomorrow. Tomorrow we’ll have more money. Tomorrow he’ll be more romantic. Tomorrow life will be easier.
Somehow, we think something magical may happen to change our circumstance tomorrow. Have you ever thought, “I would be happy if…”? Think about Eve, the first wife. She had a perfect husband, and yet when Satan tempted her, she fell for it. She thought she would be happier if…
If Eve teaches us what trouble happens when we say “I would be happy if…” maybe Abigail teaches us what good happens when we say “I am happy even though…” Abigail was married to a very wicked man. The Bible tells Abigail’s story in 1 Samuel 25.
Abigail’s name meant “my father rejoiced” while her husband Nabal’s name meant “fool.” Not exactly a match made in heaven. But something was about to happen to test Abigail. How she would respond on just one day would affect all her tomorrows.
What you experience tomorrow has a lot to do with what you do today. When you take responsibility for your own life, you possess hope for change. You’re not a victim of someone else’s shortcomings.
Abigail’s husband was holding a grand feast for his sheep-shearers. David and his men, while hiding out from Saul, had protected Nabal’s shepherds from the Philistines. Hearing of the great bounty and thinking of his hungry men, David sent ten messengers to inquire if they could have food leftover from the feast.
Nabal in his foolishness not only declined the request, he insulted the messengers. “Who is this David? Why should I take my bread and water and give it to men coming from who knows where?” Nabal roared.
David was enraged and prepared 400 men for battle to destroy Nabal’s household. Meanwhile, one of Nabal’s servants told Abigail all that had transpired. She sent her servants to intercept David with gifts of loaves, wine, sheep, corn, raisins, and figs to appease him.
She took action—riding a donkey into a mountain ravine as David and his men descended upon her. She bowed down before David, apologizing for her husband’s foolishness, and acknowledging David’s future kingship. Because of her wisdom, David accepted her apology. There was no blood spilt. Abigail had saved her household and David’s reputation.
She understood that if she kept doing the right thing today, her tomorrows would work out. She took responsibility, not only for her own actions but for the foolish actions of her husband.
What you experience tomorrow has a lot to do with what you do today. When you take responsibility for your own life, you possess hope for change. You’re not a victim of someone else’s shortcomings.
Abigail told Nabal about her encounter with David. About ten days later, God struck Nabal, and he died. David then asked Abigail to be his wife. She simply walked in wisdom each day, and God in His sovereignty secured this bright future. That’s quite a love story. It turns out happily ever after can happen in the real world…and it all starts with what you do today.
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PHILIPPIANS 4:11-13 (NCV)
“I am not telling you this because I need anything. I have learned to be satisfied with the things I have and with everything that happens. I know how to live when I am poor, and I know how to live when I have plenty. I have learned the secret of being happy at any time in everything that happens, when I have enough to eat and when I go hungry, when I have more than I need and when I do not have enough. I can do all things through Christ, because he gives me strength.”
Seasons of the Soul
By: Susan Lawrence
What season are you in right now—not physically, but spiritually? Sometimes our spiritual season doesn’t match the season on our calendars. And what’s going on inside us is in tension with the outside that surrounds us. We can try to simplify seasons: Spring is renewal. Summer is beauty. Fall is productivity. Winter is dreariness. Yet single words don’t begin to portray the full scope of each season. The reality is that not every season is enjoyable. Not every season is comfortable. Not every season is desirable. So often, we want to avoid the uncomfortable and settle only into seasons of comfort. However, God will use every spiritual season of your life. He wastes nothing. If it’s in your life, it can and will be used by God…
Graduations, Grief, and Grace
By: Diane Dokko Kim
Ah, the joyous month of June! Every year, the academic year tumbles to a hectic close with the bliss and blur of graduations and weddings, proms and parties, gifts and gowns. In this wondrous season of celebrating life-changes and transitions, most families will rejoice while some others lament: Typical parents will brace themselves for the complicated joy and sorrow of children leaving home to pursue adulthood. Meanwhile, special-needs families grieve that their child may never grow up into independence. Ironically, the ghosts of grief also bring unexpected gifts. Perceived losses and deficiencies can serve as a poignant reminder that our greatest honors were never meant to be conferred here, and of the only metrics that matter to God…
Heavenly Father,
We come before You with humble hearts, seeking Your wisdom and sovereignty in our daily lives. Help us to resist the urge to base our happiness on future events or circumstances, the "I'll be happy if" or "I'll be happy when" moments. Instead, let us find joy and contentment in Your presence here and now.
Guide us through the various seasons of our souls, reminding us that You can and will use every season for our growth and Your glory. We trust that You waste nothing, and even in our perceived losses, deficiencies, or deficits, You are at work in ways we may not yet understand.
Help us to let go of the metrics and judgments of the world, and even our own harsh self-assessments. Remind us that our value is not determined by our achievements or the opinions of others, but by Your unconditional love and grace. Your love for us is steadfast and unwavering, measured in grace rather than accomplishments.
May we walk in Your wisdom each day, seeking Your guidance, and trusting in Your sovereign plan for our lives. Fill us with peace and assurance, knowing that You are with us in every season, every step of the way.
We pray this in Jesus' name,
Amen.
