God is smiling over us tonight :]

Was at ministry today and spotted this book by Joyce Meyer (a strong indicator that she's coming when all her books are scattered around) with the title: How to be happy where you are while on your way to where you are going. Something like that.. haha..

It's been striking me often for awhile why i'm rarely ever 100% happy and satisfied with my life. I'm always so prone to negative thoughts, or just heavy heartedness or depression (though mildly :] haha..) and i was wondering, do i even know how to be happy? Or is this a habit to think and react this way?

And God reminded me of a book about this woman who died and stayed on earth to observe her family with an angel by her side. In one scene, the woman was observing her husband (whom she divorced) mess up by committing the same offense and mistake he always did to her when she was alive. She was furious, but the angel pointed out: Isn't it great? Although he did this, but he didn't do this little other thing anymore! aka. "He's changing albeit slowly!" But the woman continued her rampage. Suddenly, she felt a heavy sense of disapproval and disappointment from the angel who had left her, even though she knew that he was still nearby.

Isn't it awesome.. i really think that's what God really is like. Instead of the fearsome image of Him frowning down at us with thunderbolts in his hand, He's actually more prone to looking at the bright side of things just like in Phil 4:8 where it says to focus on everything that is good. He doesn't like to judge, that's why He gave us the bible so that we can judge ourselves. And the reason why He advised us not to judge others as well, is because when we become critical of even our own flaws, we let discontentment come in. Like Rev. AR Bernard said, with discontentment, many other things can slip into our lives.

Why is there suffering on earth? Why doesn't anyone love me? Why am i born into this family? Why did God not take care of those beggars on the street? Why why why why why....

But we often don't see the big picture. The flowers are blooming, God is still watering them. The birds are still singing, God is still taking care of them. We are still alive, we still have another chance, another day to love others and walk in His presence. Even if everyone has flaws, there's still hope because everywhere, there're fathers and mothers waking up early to prepare breakfast for the children they love.

Why do bad things happen? Because we wanted our rights, and six billion people have free will. It's not God's fault, it's our actions and our consequences.