How to Find Beauty and Happiness

The answer to your search for beauty and happiness in life is within you. Do you remember the story of the little boy who searched for the Blue Bird of Happiness all over the world, only to find it singing in his backyard all the time?

Happiness and beauty - and we cannot repeat it too often - lies not in your outward circumstances, but deep within yourself! For no outward circumstances can make you permanently happy unless the spirit is within.

The rich man or woman whose life is just one round of costly possessions rarely sees beauty in them. Those whose life is made up of travel and change will tell you how monotonous they find it. Those whose lives are apparently secure are the very ones who tremble most at the future.

We all know the tale of the unhappy King who heard that the happiest man in his kingdom lied in a far distant province: The King was told that the secret of the man's happiness lay in the man's shirt. So the King dispatched messenger to the happy man to buy the shirt of happiness at any price so that the King might be happy once more.

When the messenger arrived at the man's house he found him joking and laughing and full of life. The messenger asked the man to sell him his shirt at any price he should ask. And the man roared with laughter. He took off his threadbare cloak and he had no shirt!

Of course, that is not to say that all good, believing folks go around grinning and saying: "How good I feel." They see and know that life is serious, that it has its stern hardships. But no matter what happens to them, there is still something within them that makes them see the beauty in the common things of life, that makes them hopeful and happy - the Kingdom of God within.

For there is only one beauty. It is the beauty created by God. And it is good that you glory in His handiwork even as was commanded. For God who touches the earth with beauty can make it beautiful for you! God who makes crystal springs of pure water, can purify your life, too! And God who makes the waves of the lake dance in the sunshine, can make you glad and free if you will only let Him!

All the beauty that is ever worthwhile is yours because it is God's. And you need never say that no beauty is in your life while your eyes can see the jewels in the simplest wild flower, the setting of the sun in the city or hamlet and the innocent beauty of a child. It is a priceless gift because it is God's beauty!

Let us thank God we can see this beauty, for to us, the children of God and to us ONLY has this power of seeing beauty been given. Stones have it not, sticks have it not. Only we have it. It is given us of God because of His wonderful love for us!

And it is the same with God's happiness for you. Happiness is just the joy of being alive and well loved - and it is nothing else! When a happy person enters a room it is as if a light were shining from them. Happiness drives away gloom and fear. Even the happiness of others helps us to be good and kind. Yes, even putting on an appearance of happiness causes it to grow in your heart.

And the most wonderful thing about God's happiness is that you can lend it to others and yet still keep it. As Emerson said: "Happiness is a perfume; you cannot pour it on others without getting a few drops on yourself."

This feeling of God's beauty and happiness within you gives you the hope, the courage and strength to say to the drabness and monotony and darkness: "Do the worst that you dare! God is within me! You cannot harm me!"

Now when you come to consider, haven't you been thinking too much about your own troubles and very little about God?

Maybe that's what's wrong. If you will start thinking about God, you will feel that He is your life and that He can give you the power to overcome anything in your life which robs it of beauty and happiness - then there is no question but that you will get that power.

And how can you start to let this presence into your life in the best and quickest way? By bidding it welcome in your heartfelt Prayer!

For the Prayer of Faith alone can bring you God's beauty and happiness. Faith and faith alone will lift the burden. Faith alone washes away misery and monotony and unhappiness. Then you become so happy it seems your life has been set to music.

And what glorious happiness the knowing and the feeling that God loves you, that He wants you to be happy! What a wonderful happiness to know and feel that God, the creator of all beauty and happiness, holds it out to you!

It is this precious thought that we all need to carry us through the everyday cares and troubles which all of us have to face.

For God's beauty and happiness is more than mere loveliness. It cannot be bought; with gold for it is greater than gold. God's gift of a healthy body and a calm and contented mind is something which is open to all!

And with them comes the power to see God's beauty! Every day, no matter where you live or who you are, you will see at least one beautiful thing created by God. Treasure it! Every day, no matter who you are or where you live, you will see at least one unselfish act performed by one of God's children!

And he who sees these things has laid hold of the truest secret of God's beauty and happiness that there is in the world!

With these thoughts in your soul, can you ever again think your world is drab or monotonous?

With your eyes open to God's beauty, with every day a new revelation of it, can you ever again believe you are in a rut? With your heart tuned to God's love, can you ever again doubt His plan for you? Your future stretches on and on - down the endless road of time.

And will you join us in this prayer:

And let us not grow weary
in well-doing, in due season
we shall reap,
if we do not lose heart."

Galatians 6:9 RSV

In trying times ... don't quit trying !

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