Happiness

In honor of the International Day of Happiness:

Matthew 5:3-10

³ Blessed are the poor in spirit,
    for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
⁴ Blessed are those who mourn,
    for they will be comforted.
⁵ Blessed are the meek,
    for they will inherit the earth.
⁶ Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
    for they will be filled.
⁷ Blessed are the merciful,
    for they will be shown mercy.
⁸ Blessed are the pure in heart,
    for they will see God.
⁹ Blessed are the peacemakers,
    for they will be called children of God.
¹⁰ Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
    for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Instead of reading it as "blessed," we can read it as "happy" for our happiness, our joy, comes from the Lord. 

³ Happy are the poor in spirit,
    for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
⁴ Happy are those who mourn,
    for they will be comforted.
⁵ Happy are the meek,
    for they will inherit the earth.
⁶ Happy are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
    for they will be filled.
⁷ Happy are the merciful,
    for they will be shown mercy.
⁸ Happy are the pure in heart,
    for they will see God.
⁹ Happy are the peacemakers,
    for they will be called children of God.
¹⁰ Happy are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
    for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 

Share the love today (and all days). Smile at someone you don't know (and someone you do know). Give your spouse, significant other, or best friend that one thing that makes them wiggle with pleasure (and then give them something else). Smile some more (just because you can). 

If you don't feel like smiling at the moment, if you're finding yourself in a rut today or this week, if you think it's just going to get worse, put that aside for a few minutes. Allow yourself to be happy even for just a few moments despite the current struggle. It may be difficult, but it may just be worth it.