Finding My Happy Place 

While attending the Christian Writers Workshop, Michelle, one of our leaders, gave us an assignment to write about our happy place. I tried to visualize what that might be. Of course, I love a good book, but that’s not my happy place. Over the years, time to read a book was rare because raising kids and working left little time. Today, in this so-called retirement, I find myself in the same situation. Also, I hesitate to start a book because I’ll stay up all night to finish it due to my undisciplined personality. That’s a hurried place, I thought.

I decided to switch my focus to some of my happiest times to help me figure out my happy place. Marrying the man I was in love with, holding my newborn babies in my arms, and my great-grandchildren taking their children to church are just a drop in the bucket of happy times. What about 65 baptisms in one day at the prison, I thought. It’s a beautiful memory, but not a place available when needed. Where is my happy place?

 Still pondering, I remembered several years earlier, I was sitting on the deck of a cruise ship off the Cayman Islands—that’s a place, I thought. It was late afternoon, and I was reading one of the last Left Behind books. The book was an exciting read and based on the author’s study of Revelation. I love prophecy in the Bible because it proves God’s word. It’s not that I need proof, but maybe I like saying I told you so.

 The ship’s captain suddenly announced to the outside speaker, “We will leave at eighteen hundred hours. We cannot wait for late passengers to return to the ship. I received a report of a large earthquake. We need to try to outrun a possible tsunami. Unfortunately, we are unable to dock at our next stop, Jamacia.

I wasn’t scared, just excited. I knew God was in control, and this was just a sign of the times—prophecy in action. Still, that was a one-time place, I thought.

Then I thought of a recent time; I was walking out to get the mall when a young man selling solar panels greeted me. After he tried to sell me solar panels, I felt led to tell him about Jesus. He told me he had recently decided to believe but did not understand very much. From what he told me, I knew he had a lot of child-like questions. I asked him to wait while I went inside my house and got him my most recent book, My Little David. I gave him the book and asked him to please read it; then, I invited him to church. A couple of days later, the young man saw my husband in the yard and told him that he was reading my book and that it had clarified several things for him. The news made me happy. If my book played a part in bringing one person into the kingdom, it was time, effort, and money well spent. Thank you, Jesus.  

Then my mind shifted to some miserable times, such as the death of my son and the news my grown children had cancer. But even in the horrible times, I felt God’s arms around me, holding me up, telling me He loves me and not to give up. I felt deep grief tempered with love and hope. 

I remembered how blessed I felt when I thought of those hurried, happy, or exciting times. Even in miserable times, I felt the presence of God.

I concluded that my happy place is anywhere with Jesus, knowing I belong to Him.