Are You Happy?

This past week, a friend of mine told me a story of an interesting conversation that he had recently.  He was standing in line at the credit union when the old man in front of him turned around and asked, “Are you happy?”  My friend replied that yes, he was happy.  The man said, “Well good, because the way I see it, everybody’s gotta be happy.”

My friend told me this story sometime around 12:30am as we were standing in the kitchen eating a late night snack.  And then he asked me, “Are you happy?”  The question required me to look deep into my heart.  Was the physically, mentally, and emotionally challenging day really worth it?  Was I truly happy after all the stress and craziness of overseeing a Mass for 600 people and making sure that the pool opened up in time for the families to go swimming? 

My answer was (and is) “Yes.”

Our joy comes from the Lord, because when we give all we have to Him, He gives so many blessings back to us.  He makes all the sacrifices worth it.  And so I can say that yes, I am truly happy. 

“The joy of the Lord is our strength…”