The deeply human question

Today in one of my middle school classes, the book asked a question, What is one thing you do not know, that you wish you knew? We spent most of the class discussing our wishes and dreams but this question seemed to have a deeply profound impact in my spirit. I was very taken aback by one kids response. He said, "teacher, I wish I knew how to be happier." Don't we all. I think that is the one question that we as humans share. How do I become happier? And to hear a middle school boy ask me that question, and to have him tell me that the answer to that question is the one thing he wished he knew, startled me in a way I can't explain.

I believe I know the answer. But it is possible for there to be as many answers to that question as there are grains of sand on the beach. "Make more money" "Have more things" "Be smarter" "Be prettier" "Be richer" The answers are endless. And that is why I feel that so many people will never find true happiness in life. Because the true answer is, happiness does not lie in material possessions, or physical attributes, or any physical things. Happiness is found solely in a relationship with our creator. We were created to know love, and until we find that love relationship with our creator we will never know happiness as it was intended to be.

I am by no means saying that as we know our creator we will be happy everyday. We will have our bad days, our hard times, and our difficult circumstances, but happiness is not something that consumes every moment. Happiness is a mentality, a joy, a knowing that even though things aren't always perfect, and we don't always have everything we want, we can be happier knowing a love that changes everything. So the question and answer is not how to be happy, it's how to be happier. The joy of love between us and our creator is what makes us happier. Happy is not a destination. We don't just wake up one day and become happy suddenly because we acquired more of something. We become happier every day and every moment that we live in that love relationship with our creator.