If Only…

If only I had a better job. If only I HAD a job. If only our house was larger. If only I HAD a house. If only I had a two parent home. If only I HAD parents.

I would be much happier if I had straight hair. I would be much happier if I had curly hair. I would be much happier if I HAD hair.

If only my parents had stayed together. If only my parents had separated (we wouldn't have seen so much fighting).

I would be happier if I could lose weight. I would be happier if my baby would gain weight.

If only I could buy that pair of shoes…dress…coat. If only there were shoes to buy.

I would be happier if I had not been adopted. I would be happier if I HAD been adopted.

Exactly what does make people happy? You can find happy contented people in all situations. You can find dissatisfied people in every walk of life.

I would venture to say the only truly happy people are ones who are walking in God's will, and not looking to things or other people to make them happy.

The Corporate Curmudgeon (Dale Dauten) had a column in our local paper this week (I tried to find a link to his column, but couldn't) Anyway the column opens with Ralph Waldo Emerson's quote "Be an opener of doors" and, "How's this for a Big Goal for a manager: To be the answer to employees' prayers." He asks how many people have ever prayed for their boss to be a better boss? He tells the story of John Molt –"his mother committed suicide when he was 5 years old, he then lived in a series of foster homes, some of them quite horrific, and ended up with multiple addictions."

Instead of blaming the system and saying "if only" he asked himself "Is this the best you can do?" After getting sober, and out of prison, he became a Christian." He prayed for two things, a good woman to be his wife and a boss who would give him a chance to grow and excel. He ended up with both." He got a decent starting job and a boss that gave him a chance to succeed. Instead of sitting back and enjoying his success, he had opened his heart to others who are looking for a second chance. It is much easier and less risky to open your check book and give money, than to open your heart and risk being a hero or a fool.



That article challenged me. Right now business is down and my husband's hours have been cut. It is easy to look at the managers and say, "well if only they would ____" I decided I would pray for the managers, I know some of them are not Christians, some of them are. I need to pray for all of them to make the right choices. It is so much easier though to say "If only…"

This IS what makes me happy  my kids all crowded around one keyboard playing a silly game they call tag.
                                        (ignore the mess in the background)