There Art Thou Happy!

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure,

Whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, 

if there is anything worthy of praise, think about such things.”

Philippians 4:8

It’s my favorite scene from Shakespeare.  Well the truth is it may be the only scene from Shakespeare that I remember.  It’s from Romeo and Juliet, Act 3, Scene 3.  Romeo is with Friar Lawrence.  Romeo is in complete despair as he looks at all that has happened to him and Juliet.  He looks at his life and sees only the negative.  Friar Lawrence will have none of it and begins to paint for Romeo an entirely different picture of what has happened.  “What, rouse thee, man!  Thy Juliet is alive, for whose dear sake thou wast lately dead.  There are thou happy!   Tybalt would kill thee.  But Thou slewest Tybalt.  There art thou happy!  The law that threatened death becomes thy friend and turns it to exile – there art thou happy!  A pack of blessings light upon thy back.  Happiness courts thee in her best array!”

I think all of us need a Friar Lawrence in our lives.  For me, Linda has often been just that person.  She did it for me the other night.  I came home from church in a negative mood, down on everything.  Why?  I think I was just down because Ben, Anna, Kyah, Dillan and Hailey were leaving the next morning.  But whatever the reason, Linda stopped me dead in my tracks.  She said, “We’re not going to go there.  Not tonight.  This is a special night, our last night for a while with them.  We’re going to have a special dinner, play some games with the kids, read them stories, and have fun.”  She might as well have added, “There art thou happy!”

We all need such reminders because it is so easy to be negative… to expect the worst rather than the best… to see everything as gloomy rather than joyful. Sometimes its envy and jealousy at work.  We see some great blessing in other people’s live, yet instead of being happy with them, we feel bad for ourselves.  Sometimes it’s self-pity.  We want everyone to feel sorry for us so we complain about life.  I guess in some strange way we believe that will make us feel better about our lives.  At times, we say negative things in the hope that others will say nice things.  My sister Kathy calls it “Fishing for compliments.”  At times, we just catch the negativity coming from others – like a contagious virus.  Sometimes it’s the negative things we tell ourselves about ourselves.  About a year after my dad died, a counselor urged me to pay attention to my internal messaging – to pay attention to the things I was telling myself about me.  “Whenever you find yourself going negative, stop yourself.  Change the message.”

In Romeo and Juliet Friar Lawrence calls Romeo’s complaining, a “deadly sin…” a “rude unthankfulness!”  He’s right.  When all we can do is to see the negative and to complain, that is ingratitude.  We are allowing our sinfulness to blind us to the goodness and blessing of God.  Because God’s goodness is always there.  The cross and death of Jesus is the proof.  What could be more horrible than that cross?  Yet in the death of Jesus, God showed us how much He loves us. There on the cross, Jesus saved us from sin and death.  “If God did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also along with Him freely give us all things?”  There art thou happy!

Yesterday morning, we took Ben, Anna, Kyah, Dillan and Hailey to the airport.  As we watched them go through security and turned around to go home, tears filled my eyes.  At first, they were the tears of having to say goodbye, thinking negative thoughts about living so far from our kids and grandkids.  But then Linda’s words from the night before came back to me.  I thought of the counselor 20 years ago.  I wondered, what would God say to me right now?  These words from Philippians 4 came to me.  “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, Whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about such things.”  So the new thoughts began to take shape - “Wayne, you just got to spend 20 wonderful days with them. There art Thou happy!   Your kids and grandkids are healthy and loved.  There art thou happy!  Your children have all grown up to love and believe in Jesus.  There art Thou happy!  Each place God has given you to serve – Nebraska, Texarkana, Concordia Wisconsin, Flower Mound and now Germany have been great opportunities with great people.  God has given you such a variety of experiences, has taken you to places you never imagined you would get to go.  There art thou happy.  Your God loves you.  He gave His Son for you.  He made you His child in baptism. He gives you the privilege of telling others about Him.  There art thou happy!

My friends, those are some of the things in my life.  What are they in your life? When you find yourself saying or thinking negative unhelpful things, change the messaging.  Remember Paul’s words to the Philippians.  Get your Friar Lawrence going.  Look to the cross and empty tomb.  Start focusing on the unique goodness of God in your life.  Because the truth is that no matter what has gone wrong in your life, “A pack of blessings light upon thy back.  Happiness courts thee…” Your God courts thee in His best array!”  There art thou happy!  Amen