Rainbows and Unicorns

Sometimes great wisdom can come from the mouths of our children.  Today I asked my son if he was happy.  He said he was.  So I asked him to share with me what he thought it meant to be happy.  My son is a creative and artistic little guy so his response came as no surprise to me. He told me he likes to make little paper hats.  He's starting different collections of them and told me all about them.

Why is this profound?

Earlier today as I was driving home I asked God a similar question.  I asked what is it that makes people happy.  So often I hear people say that when they come to know Jesus as their savior it changes their lives.  I hear people say true happiness comes from this; from knowing Jesus.  I didn't ask God about this because my life is constantly filled with rainbows and unicorns.  I've really struggled to know happiness at times.  I know God loves me.  I know Jesus is my savior.  So where are the sparkles and ladybugs in my life?  I didn't get it.  It didn't make sense to me.  So I asked that God share His wisdom with me about happiness.

Later when my son told me what it meant for him to be happy, I realized he is completely allowing himself to be free to be who he is.  Do you remember being young and not worrying about anything?  Do you remember what it is like to be free to be you?  Do you remember life before Guess Jeans, hairspray, and junior high school?  I think it's been awhile since I allowed myself to really be me.

Now that doesn't mean we can do whatever we want.  We can't go brake laws in the name of self-gratification.  What it does mean is that it is ok to be you, and it is ok for me to be me - as our Father sees us.

As we grow up why do we try so hard to fit into certain roles?  Why do we pursue the things we pursue?  Can we ever be happy trying to be something we're not?

I think for those with tough backgrounds of abusive or drug-filled lives there is a lot of guilt and shame that goes along with it.  There may be embarrassment.  In short, there is a great lack peace being in that position.  Our guard is up and life becomes very defensive as we try to cover up who we are and pretend to be someone we are not.

So when we come to accept Jesus and His forgiveness, we can once again let go and stop hiding.  We can be us because we know we are loved and forgiven.  The weight is gone and that is very freeing and causes great joy!

We are happy when we are free to be ourselves.  But what does God say about who we are?  Here are just a few verses:

Romans 12:2

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

2 Peter 1:2-4

“Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.  His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness. Through these He has given us His very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.”

1 John 3:1-2

“See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.”

If you don't wake up tomorrow morning to hummingbirds, bunnies, and sugarplums dancing around you and the air filled with the fragrance of lilacs and honey, then maybe you're like me and together we need to renew our minds, stop looking at the pressures we allow the world to put on us and start believing we are children of God.

Let's find happiness in life by being ourselves - who God created us to be - and not who we think we should be.  Let's practice being silly when we can.  Let's practice playing with children and let's let go a little and start to trust our Father to take care of us.  Allow yourself to be you today.  Read who you are to our Father.  Take a break from being artificial and allow yourself to be real.