Why does so much of life often seem to revolve around input? What I mean is why do “good” things have to happen for it to be a good day and why do “bad” things have to happen for it to be a bad day?

Why does a sense of well-being seem to hinge on such temporary and untrustworthy things like weather, and the moods of other people? Or worse still- the endorphin levels in my own brain? It seems that our contentment and happiness hinge primarily on luck and things that are out of my control.

Ok, I know what some of you are thinking. Just develop a nice committed relationship with Jesus and all your happiness will become joy and not dependent on some external thing.

While this is true this is easier said than done and often ends up with a lot of trickery and fakery. Plastic people with plastic faces set to the comedy setting of the masks. I don’t mean to suggest that Christ does not offer joy…far from it. What I mean is that while Christ is the source of joy dependent on nothing but my relationship with him, I am still Peter (and aptly named at that). Peter is inconstant, Peter is a traitor, Peter is weak and while Christ is strong he is also respectful of all of my stupid choices..one of which is to hinge my joy and wellbeing on things and externals.

Today is Wednesday. As a journalist it is my version of a weekend because Tuesday is deadline day and the week up to deadline is always filled with writing and interviewing and picture taking etc. So today is Wednesday. It is blue sky nice out today. Nice enough that I might take a walk around the lake this afternoon if only to remind myself why I don’t often walk around the lake. Today pleases me.

I wonder if today was grey, raining and all my plans were to fall through, if I could still be pleased? This is what I mean by hinging our hopes and dreams on the inconstant shoulders of weather, money, clothes, and other people. Frankly to hinge our joy on another seems to be the worst of all decisions…how much of a burden to force another to bear the responsibility for your happiness? At least weather and money feel nothing and cannot feel guilty when they disappoint or fail you.

This brings us back to Christ. Christ is a person. God certainly but also the most human human to ever live. He does feel. He can be hurt. I can hurt him. Maybe this is why I don’t like hitching my hopes and sense of wellbeing to him…I don’t want to disappoint him. I don’t want to feel the guilt when I inevitably fail. Who’s to say really?

Well no matter what, no matter where I hook my hopes,  I have to remind myself constantly of this promise of Christ from John 15:5 –

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”