Happiness

There are times when I get caught up in my feelings. I let them control my day and dictate how I respond to the people around me. When I'm in a good mood, all is well with the world. When I'm in a bad mood, beware! I tend to make everyone around suffer along with me. 

Today as I was reading the blogs of my friends, I stumbled upon this quote that one of them had posted, and it hit me over the head with it's truth.  

"I cannot believe that the purpose of life is to be "happy." I think the purpose of life is to be useful, to be responsible, to be compassionate. It is, above all, to matter and to count, to stand for something, to have made some difference that you lived at all."

- Leo C. Rosten

It made me sorry for how I let my "happiness" dictate my life, rather than letting my joy fill even the bad days. I know I have plenty to complain about, but God never promised that my life would be easy or "happy." He told me that He would give me joy and that the purpose of that joy was to be a light to the lost world around me. How silly I am to forget that so easily. 

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P.S. Happy birthday Mom! Oh, and a belated one to you too Dad :)