Happy, Happy

It is always interesting to me how the Divine inspires me when it is time to write a blog. This entire week, the essays from Richard Rohr have dealt with how to cope with the fear that is manifesting in the world. My women’s group last week spent time discussing how to deal with the fear that seems palpable. This morning I drew the oracle card, “Happy, Happy.”  While it may seem a bit incongruous, I believe that “Happy, Happy” is an antidote to the pervasive fear that is permeating our country and our world.

It almost seems wrong to be happy when so many are suffering around the world. Covid-19, war, poverty, lack of education, natural disasters, starvation – what is there to be happy about? Being happy during so much suffering feels wrong. I feel guilty that I am not suffering along with so many others. There is also that nagging feeling that I will be next. And yet, the Divine calls us to “be not afraid!” and to rest in the knowledge that we are held and loved by the Divine.

We are called upon to be joyous, fearless, open, and trusting in the divine plan. It really is okay to be happy no matter what else is happening in the world. That joy and happiness comes from a place of deep gratitude that celebrates life in all its messiness. It comes from deep within, and it is the knowledge that we are being held, despite great world upheavals. It comes from the knowledge that our souls are safe, no matter what is happening around us. It comes from knowing in the deepest parts of ourselves that the Divine cares deeply about each of us.

Yesterday I had a three-hour drive through Central Texas. The bluebonnets and paintbrushes covered the sides of the road in wild profusion. The intense blues and oranges contrasted with the emerald-green fields. Signs of spring filled me with joy and happiness. I spent the entire drive savoring the beauty that surrounded me.

In that moment, I was living my life in joy. When I live my life in  joy, then I can be instrumental in dispelling the darkness. By radiating joy out into the world, I become part of a great revolution and part of the solution to the world’s ills. If I can focus on love and joy, I become a channel of that love and joy out into the world. In that moment, my joy then ripples out into the world no matter what else is happening.

It is not always easy, and I certainly fail more than I succeed. Sometimes I find myself filled with grief and despair. But if I can find joy in this moment – in the beauty of the wildflowers, in the notes of a song, in the blue of the sky, in just being alive – if I can radiate that joy out into the world, then I am contributing to a shift in the world’s consciousness – a shift away from fear toward “Happy, Happy!”

Barbara Garland
March 2022