During my morning reading and meanderings around the world wide web and my Bible verse of the day, a common theme seemed for form in my mind.
Too many people don't learn to appreciate where they are and what they have. Always in pursuit of what they believe is better... the proverbial Greener Pasture. But that pasture is an illusion.
God has asked that we learn to find our contentment in what we have. That's the key to happiness.
Happiness isn't about being overwhelmingly giddy or always jumping for joy. Happiness is about acceptance and finding the beauty in the everyday things. Someone who's there for us... the little things they do that we often take for granted.
We all do it at times. We all fail to see the beauty that lies in our own back yard. At times, our own gardens and lawns and walkways don't seem quite as lovely as our neighbors, or those we see in magazines. It's a shame, really, that so many of us believe in the "if only..."
If only, I had that. If only, I had something different than what I have. If only, I had a fancier car. If only, I had a sexier woman/man. If only, I had more money. If only my house were more luxurious.
Well, "if only..." is an illusion and the Bible teaches us that. Where your heart is, that's where your treasure will be. And God knows, if you can't learn to appreciate the treasure you already have, those other things aren't really going to make you happy either. So we must set our hearts on things that are truly of the most value; always remembering that only God Himself can help us see precisely what those things are.
It's all a matter of perspective. All a matter of what you choose to see and focus on.
We should all spend more time enjoying what we have, right in our own back yard, instead of wishing we had our neighbor's. Keep in mind, their yard has weeds and pests and leaves to rake, too many rocks or too few flowers. You simply can't see it from the distance.
