LASTING AND PERMANENT

I turned the television on after breakfast today. A loud commercial blared out at me urging me to buy something and make my life happier. This was followed by another commercial and another each one saying the same thing: buy this or that and your life will be great. After a while I couldn’t take it anymore. The commercials weren’t making me feel better. They were just trying to make me want things I didn’t need. Finally I shut off the set and looked out the window at the sun coming up over the mountains. The clouds were painted purple, pink, and yellow by God’s own hand. Watching them I finally smiled and felt at peace.

In my life over the years I have listened to a lot of commercials and bought a lot of things. I have bought cars, televisions, computers, cell phones, stereos, and more appliances than I could use. The happiness they brought me was temporary and fleeting at best. They may have at times made my life more convenient, but they never once made my life more joyful.

The things that did make my life happier, the things that brought lasting and permanent joy into my heart and soul couldn’t be bought in a store. They instead were found in the wide open arms of love. They were found in prayer, in thanking God everyday for my life, and in inviting His love into my soul. They were found in simple acts of kindness, freely shared, expecting nothing in return. They were found in gentle words of encouragement, big hugs of affection, and inspiring thoughts of goodness. They were found in all the little choices I made every day to grow in oneness with God and to do my best to be His Child. They were found in living a life of caring for others and giving back what I could to this wonderful world.

What do you want - the momentary pleasure the commercials offer and the empty wallet that goes with it, or the eternal joy of living a life of love? It is up to you. Choose well.

.....Joseph J. Mazzella (joemazzella@frontier.com) by way of "Christian Voices" (www.ChristianVoicesWorldwide.net)