I WISH YOU HAPPINESS

Joan Chitister writes, “Try saying this silently to everyone and everything you see for thirty days and see what happens to your own soul: “I wish you happiness now and whatever will bring happiness to you in the future.” If we said it to the sky, we would have to stop polluting, if we said it to the ponds and lakes and streams, we would have to stop using them as garbage dumps and sewers; if we said it to small children we would have to stop abusing them, even in the name of training; if we said it to people, we would have to stop stoking the fires of enmity around us. Beauty and human warmth would take root in us like a clear, hot June day. We would change.”

I would like to think about this challenge for thirty days and then again I would like to try and think about it for thirty minutes. I suppose this exercise exposes the selfish core that exists in me of wanting some kind of happy-clappy life without wanting it for others. That “do unto others” thing catches up with us very quickly with these kinds of thoughts. I do “wish you happiness now and whatever will bring happiness in the future.” But, wow, for thirty days… Also, do I have to be happy to wish you happiness?

“If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.” Jesus