My Happy Place

You make known to me the path of life;
    you will fill me with joy in your presence,
    with eternal pleasures at your right hand. – Psalm 16:11

With the arrival of spring comes the opportunity to spend time at our weekend retreat. A few weeks ago I stayed overnight during the week for a short get-a-way and spent the time preparing it for the season. The thought of, “This is my happy place, ” kept coming to mind and while it is a relaxing and joyful place to be, I’m learning that My Happy Place isn’t a geographical location, rather it’s a person. That person is my Savior, Jesus Christ.

It was nice to sit and be still, to bask in the quietness and to be away from the busyness of every day life, but if that’s the only way I can be happy, I have a big problem. The majority of my week is not spent in those conditions and if I want to experience true joy in my life, then my Happy Place needs to be accessible anytime and anywhere, not just in ideal situations.

I found this to be true when I returned home to a list of chores that needed my attention and several work emails to return. My first thought was that I wanted to go back. But when I read today’s verse I knew that I could be back in the middle of my true Happy Place by inviting His Holy Spirit into my day.

Instantly, as I focused on His presense, my mind stopped racing and my breathing became calm. I could feel His peace wash over me and I was once again in My Happy Place. Living life with Jesus makes it enjoyable, do-able and exciting. We often hear, “Go to your happy place,” when the stresses of life feel overwhelming. The idea is that you think about other things to take your mind off your present circumstances. But when Jesus is your Happy Place, He gives you the right focus and clear direction so that you can experience peace and joy in the midst of your circumstances – anywhere and anytime.

What an amazing God we serve!