It’s easy to say ”I’ll be happy when… ” What’s not as easy is staying glad once that “when” comes. In the past year, every one of us has said, “I’ll be happy when this pandemic is over.” The pandemic is taking its toll in a number of ways.

Or perhaps you’ll be happy when you… 

Make more money. Get a better job. Buy a house. Change cities. The list goes on and on.

In truth, all of these things would very likely bring momentary happiness. But then, as always, we adjust to “our new normal.” As humans, we adapt to change, but we also crave change. 

So, if we think something will make us happy but then our feelings of happiness don’t last, what hope can we have? 

Who we are and what we believe follows us. For example, if you define your happiness based on wealth, you won’t be satisfied with more money. If you move towns, states or countries, hoping to escape your problems, you will not. They follow you and will always find you.

Rest assured that we can rejoice. It isn’t so pessimistic as this all sounds. Our lasting joy can’t be found in worldly things and desires. 

One of my favorite hymns beautifully states, “In Christ alone my hope is found, He is my light, my strength, my song.” I know in my heart that the only hope for true happiness is through our Savior, the one who has overcome this world. 

As we begin Lent this week, we must remember that Jesus took on human flesh and sacrificed Himself so that we could have hope. We have the hope of eternity filled with all of the happiness we desire. 

We can never know what tomorrow will bring. Let’s choose to be happy today. Let’s not waste one more moment saying “I’ll be happy when…” There’s no time like the present, so let’s stop asking ”when.” Let’s start saying “now.”

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As written for St. James Church, published in the weekly newsletter on February 19, 2020.