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Day Five: Looking for Happiness in Life

Whenever we come to a place when we feel devoid of heavenly happiness, we should take a careful look at our lives. The lack is due not to the Lord, but to our inability to see and receive the joy He has already provided for us. While we are dying of hunger in the wilderness, our lives are filled with promise and opportunities for happiness. The problem is that, like the children of Israel, we do not recognize the food the Lord has given us. It does not look like food to us. We want something amazing and miraculous. Longing for the meat pots of Egypt, we choose to continue in our starvation and anger even though simple blessings are all around us.

Gratitude Exercise: Make a List
Today I am thankful for...

Reflections
The lack of happiness in our life can sometimes be due to our unwillingness to see and receive the joy the Lord has already provided for us. When you purposefully look, what happiness do you see in your life?

What is the heavenly bread that seems too common to consider as food for the journey? Take some time throughout your day to observe how the Lord is sending you manna. Maybe it is simply looking outward to serve family and friends. Or it could be cheerfully doing the tasks that define our day: listening to our children, finishing a job that may be tedious, being civil to co-workers even though we feel irritated, noticing and offering comfort to someone in distress. Maybe the Lord will send you a "manna moment" in a bird flying across your path or the brilliance of a flower. Maybe you’ll be reminded of the Lord’s manna when you witness someone standing up for what they believe in or compassionately giving to another person. If we look closely, our lives are filled with opportunities to partake of this heavenly food every moment, just as the ground was covered with manna. If you are having trouble finding these moments in your life, here’s a tip — stop and breathe. Often when we stop and breathe we can observe things that we didn’t see before. Our body can take note of the warmth of the sun, a child’s smile, the car that is running smoothly, the food in front of us. Take a deep breath and recognize the many blessings that the Lord is providing.

Download the Reflection and Gratitude Exercise in printable form. (PDF)

Discussion Board
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