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God and sadness\u2026.<\/span><\/h2>\nGod and sadness don\u2019t seem like they should go together. Maybe if we stop and try to dissect the terms, we can. No, I am not going to do that here. I will put you to sleep and you will never read any of my stuff again. Romans 9 NIV \u2013 Paul\u2019s Anguish Over Israel \u2013 I speak \u2013 Bible Gateway<\/a><\/p>\nNope, we will go with those thoughts in your mind about each and just run with those. Of course, you gotta hear mine first. Stay with me. I won\u2019t bore you\u2014I don\u2019t think.<\/p>\n
First, let me give you a little background. I, overall, am a contented being. Contented<\/em> doesn\u2019t mean happy. Joyful <\/em>doesn\u2019t mean happy. At least those are my working definitions. I think being happy <\/em>is rare. That\u2019s not a bad thing. Think of it like the Bell Curve we grew up with in school. At both ends were the extremes: sadness and happiness. To be happy all the time puts you at one end of the emotional spectrum. It\u2019s hard to maintain that. It\u2019s like you get an A on that algebra test you were worried about. You didn\u2019t think you would get a B let alone an A. The teacher even tells you \u2018nice job.\u2019 That feeling, right there. That is happiness. It fades away when you walk into the next class. Or what I like to call on a life scale\u2014season. <\/em><\/p>\nAt that moment of the season, you are content in your joy. \u2018Mark, so what\u2019s the difference between Joy and Happiness?\u2019 Happiness is that flash of emotion which feels really good. So good your body reacts to it with a smile, a laugh, a funny burp. Joy is a contentment within and with who you are and where you are at in that season.<\/p>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Right now\u2026.<\/span><\/h3>\nRight now, as I write this. I am Joyful. Background-I write. I write a lot. Novels. They are fun and bring me joy<\/em>. Right now, I am at my desk, it is before dawn and the sun isn\u2019t up yet. The colors out the window of the neighborhood are striking. I really like it in the fall to early spring because it stays darker longer. I live in Phoenix as well where the morning temperature sometimes, does not go below 95 degrees. That\u2019s just stupid. But I imagine its like being in Green Bay, Wisconsin in January. That\u2019s just stupid I would suspect. At least I don\u2019t have to dig my car out of the snow bank. So I got that going for me.<\/p>\nSo, what is sadness<\/em>. I would unscientifically declare it is the antithesis of happiness<\/em>. The other end of the Bell Curve. It is a season in our lives where we are in the emotional position of feeling not so good inside of ourselves. Exactly like happiness, it is a feeling in our, well, soul. <\/em>I have experienced the same emotional symptoms with each. Each have provided tears, sometimes gut-wrenching emotion. You\u2019re right when you say you have never laughed when you were sad. Me either, so I think there are some physical traits that are unique, like that ugly crying <\/em>with hard tears, ugly lips turned upside down, curled up on the couch and your body is retching, all highlighted with snot. That\u2019s sad.<\/p>\n\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u2026something in your soul\u2026.<\/span><\/h3>\nStill, something in your soul has caused a physical occurrence. But you can also have time in your life, when you aren\u2019t having tears, but you are not content deep inside. You still function, you still go to work, get the kids off to school, get dressed all of that. But your soul is not content.<\/p>\n
Now, I am not even going to touch clinical stuff, like Depression. There are people among us who are seriously hurting, and we need to pay attention to them as well. We can affirm them, remind them they are not alone, take them to lunch, mow their lawn. Love them where they are. But for us, if the above fits us, I have discovered what helps is knowing there is Someone, <\/em>who knows what we are going through. God.<\/p>\n\u2018Mark, why is God<\/em> always the answer when talk comes around to living? God got me in this mess. If it is in my soul <\/em>like you said, God gave me the soul if I believed in him. Now look at me.\u2019<\/p>\nYeah, isn\u2019t it great!<\/p>\n
\u2018What?\u2019<\/p>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0The coffee is great\u2026.<\/span><\/h3>\nLook, the world is, in parts and at moments, can be a beautiful place, like right now in my office. The coffee is great, Pandora is playing Helen Jane Long music, the dogs are asleep snoring like longshoremen\/women. But in a few minutes or hours, I will step back into reality. The world is also a dumpster fire of animal droppings on a hot summer day. It will be followed by another day of the same ilk. And again, and again, and again.<\/p>\n
Over my life, I have tried to peddle the bike<\/em> on my own. I have; it\u2019s been okay. But it is exhausting to live this life. EXHAUSTING<\/em>. I have found myself surrendering at\u00a0those times to simply saying \u2018just move my arms and legs, God. I can\u2019t today.\u2019 Then, it became like a slow, warm, wave washing over me, a bit at a time. It was hardly noticeable, but definitely there. So, I said it again. Again, it showed up. But nothing in the manner I thought it would be. But better.<\/p>\n\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u2026most definitely.<\/span><\/h3>\nSo, is God in our sadness? I would say most definitely. He didn\u2019t create sadness, that was that other guy and God allows it. Why? To bring me closer to Him. If you have kids, and they were ever scared of something when they were young, they automatically spin on their heels and find you, and hug your leg. Yep. That contentment of joy in the parent\u2019s protection is an amazing feeling.<\/p>\n
All you have to do is ask.<\/p>\n
Home<\/a><\/p>\nFaith In Chaos, Stability In Christ | Faith In Chaos, Stability In Christ<\/a><\/p>\n
Nope, we will go with those thoughts in your mind about each and just run with those. Of course, you gotta hear mine first. Stay with me. I won\u2019t bore you\u2014I don\u2019t think.<\/p>\n
First, let me give you a little background. I, overall, am a contented being. Contented<\/em> doesn\u2019t mean happy. Joyful <\/em>doesn\u2019t mean happy. At least those are my working definitions. I think being happy <\/em>is rare. That\u2019s not a bad thing. Think of it like the Bell Curve we grew up with in school. At both ends were the extremes: sadness and happiness. To be happy all the time puts you at one end of the emotional spectrum. It\u2019s hard to maintain that. It\u2019s like you get an A on that algebra test you were worried about. You didn\u2019t think you would get a B let alone an A. The teacher even tells you \u2018nice job.\u2019 That feeling, right there. That is happiness. It fades away when you walk into the next class. Or what I like to call on a life scale\u2014season. <\/em><\/p>\n At that moment of the season, you are content in your joy. \u2018Mark, so what\u2019s the difference between Joy and Happiness?\u2019 Happiness is that flash of emotion which feels really good. So good your body reacts to it with a smile, a laugh, a funny burp. Joy is a contentment within and with who you are and where you are at in that season.<\/p>\n Right now, as I write this. I am Joyful. Background-I write. I write a lot. Novels. They are fun and bring me joy<\/em>. Right now, I am at my desk, it is before dawn and the sun isn\u2019t up yet. The colors out the window of the neighborhood are striking. I really like it in the fall to early spring because it stays darker longer. I live in Phoenix as well where the morning temperature sometimes, does not go below 95 degrees. That\u2019s just stupid. But I imagine its like being in Green Bay, Wisconsin in January. That\u2019s just stupid I would suspect. At least I don\u2019t have to dig my car out of the snow bank. So I got that going for me.<\/p>\n So, what is sadness<\/em>. I would unscientifically declare it is the antithesis of happiness<\/em>. The other end of the Bell Curve. It is a season in our lives where we are in the emotional position of feeling not so good inside of ourselves. Exactly like happiness, it is a feeling in our, well, soul. <\/em>I have experienced the same emotional symptoms with each. Each have provided tears, sometimes gut-wrenching emotion. You\u2019re right when you say you have never laughed when you were sad. Me either, so I think there are some physical traits that are unique, like that ugly crying <\/em>with hard tears, ugly lips turned upside down, curled up on the couch and your body is retching, all highlighted with snot. That\u2019s sad.<\/p>\n Still, something in your soul has caused a physical occurrence. But you can also have time in your life, when you aren\u2019t having tears, but you are not content deep inside. You still function, you still go to work, get the kids off to school, get dressed all of that. But your soul is not content.<\/p>\n Now, I am not even going to touch clinical stuff, like Depression. There are people among us who are seriously hurting, and we need to pay attention to them as well. We can affirm them, remind them they are not alone, take them to lunch, mow their lawn. Love them where they are. But for us, if the above fits us, I have discovered what helps is knowing there is Someone, <\/em>who knows what we are going through. God.<\/p>\n \u2018Mark, why is God<\/em> always the answer when talk comes around to living? God got me in this mess. If it is in my soul <\/em>like you said, God gave me the soul if I believed in him. Now look at me.\u2019<\/p>\n Yeah, isn\u2019t it great!<\/p>\n \u2018What?\u2019<\/p>\n Look, the world is, in parts and at moments, can be a beautiful place, like right now in my office. The coffee is great, Pandora is playing Helen Jane Long music, the dogs are asleep snoring like longshoremen\/women. But in a few minutes or hours, I will step back into reality. The world is also a dumpster fire of animal droppings on a hot summer day. It will be followed by another day of the same ilk. And again, and again, and again.<\/p>\n Over my life, I have tried to peddle the bike<\/em> on my own. I have; it\u2019s been okay. But it is exhausting to live this life. EXHAUSTING<\/em>. I have found myself surrendering at\u00a0those times to simply saying \u2018just move my arms and legs, God. I can\u2019t today.\u2019 Then, it became like a slow, warm, wave washing over me, a bit at a time. It was hardly noticeable, but definitely there. So, I said it again. Again, it showed up. But nothing in the manner I thought it would be. But better.<\/p>\n So, is God in our sadness? I would say most definitely. He didn\u2019t create sadness, that was that other guy and God allows it. Why? To bring me closer to Him. If you have kids, and they were ever scared of something when they were young, they automatically spin on their heels and find you, and hug your leg. Yep. That contentment of joy in the parent\u2019s protection is an amazing feeling.<\/p>\n All you have to do is ask.<\/p>\n Home<\/a><\/p>\n Faith In Chaos, Stability In Christ | Faith In Chaos, Stability In Christ<\/a><\/p>\n\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Right now\u2026.<\/span><\/h3>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u2026something in your soul\u2026.<\/span><\/h3>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0The coffee is great\u2026.<\/span><\/h3>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u2026most definitely.<\/span><\/h3>\n