Happy or sad?

O Lord, thou hast brought up my soul from the grave: thou hast kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit. Sing unto the Lord, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness. For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning. Psalm 30:3-5

Emma and I were talking about the words “exciting” and “sadness” and she asks what made me excited and what made me sad. I turned the question to her…..

I got the usual excitable and saddening occurrences… new house, car, puppy, vacations, etc. then sadly the dog died, moms shoulder injury, accidents.

I told her what excites/saddens most people in general…..

1. winning: a ballgame, a scratch off, a bowling tourney, a foot race…. we all find winning, exciting…..and losing is usually sad.

2. catching a fish: it as much the anticipation of how big and what kind of fish as both are usually a mystery until – pow its at the top! ….missing/ losing one of those lil dudes is really sad.

3. Hearing/Saying the word “free”: just look at Billy Amazing or any infomercial they are always excited, and, you know you are waiting on … “But WAIT! if you order now we will throw in the FREE carry case.!” ….Likewise the unexpected shipping charges (extras) are sad.

4. Getting recognized : nothing excites you more than being singled out for that spectacular {touchdown/slam dunk/ A+ math paper} and having your moment in the sun. (trophies for all) … While being ignored typically surpasses sad.

5. Accomplishing a goal: not only have you reaped the benefits of the plan/goal, but you realized a depth to your capabilities. ….Missing the mark often brings sadness and hopefully determination.

6. Seeing the American Flag: this excites me because that means there is a glimmer of hope on the planet. That there are people like you and I that want to see the world a better place. Not just an ideal, but an honest yearning for the better. Better technology, better medicine, better schools, justice for the weak and truly disadvantaged, encouragement for the meek, training for undereducated, opportunity for the eager and safeguards from thieves.

What is most saddening is the fact that there are those willing to abuse their position to further their own agenda at the demise of the entire planet.

What excites you? Is it these temporary things or is it in the eternal truth that God has already rescued us from the misery of sin and he seeks to replace our worldly experiences with His perfection?