You may be wondering about the title of my blog (at least I hope you are -- and if you weren't, would you please start to now so I don't look presumptuous?)

 

I am a firm believer in happily ever afters, but there is a skeptic in all of us. Do they actually happen? Do happily ever afters actually exist?!

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I think a lot of times we trick ourselves into a cycle of trying to find happiness. We all want a beautiful ending. But we live in such a chaotic and broken world. Somehow society has taught us to believe that if we’re pretty enough, or handsome enough, or loved enough, or wear enough of the right clothes and makeup, that we can have this fairy tale ending. But I also see plenty of people asking the contrary. "Why does life have to be so complicated?" "Why don't I know what I'm doing with my life yet?" "Why can’t it all just be simple?" The more we seem to learn about the world, the harder and rougher it becomes. 

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"Why?" and "What if?" These are the questions that drive us crazy. In a society that tells us what we "need" to do in order to feel happy, loved, and whole, the desire to live a simple life without such intense pressures can be overwhelming. These kinds of questions often cause us to have a pessimistic approach to life, constantly thinking we could have done better in the past, or that there is no hope for the future, which somehow begins to reflect upon our personal identity. With the constant expectation to have everything perfect and poised for our social media accounts, we easily become frustrated when this is not how life plays out. We begin again to ask why and what if, and when we ask why and what if, we become frustrated at the lack of an answer. This is a viscous cycle that leaves us feeling empty and as if there isn’t anything else. Everything is so broken, so is this all there is? Really?

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I don’t think so. In fact, I know that there is more.

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Despite what society may voice, think, or impress upon us, there is something bigger than the false doctrines of this corrupt world. Your social media does not have to look perfect, your grades do not have to be the first two letters of the alphabet, and you don't have to be able to splash water on your face like they do in the Maybelline commercials. (Spoiler alert: She definitely wasn't born with it.) There is also something bigger than the overwhelming brokenness of poverty, abuse, discrimination, homelessness, pain, and other injustices.

 

There is a God. A God who loves and cares for us. A God who sees our brokenness and our searching. A God who hears our whys and what ifs. And a God that wants only the best for His beloved creation. Maybe you have heard this said a million times before, or maybe never. I know that, as a follower of Christ, I still fall into the same trap of hopelessness. I desire something worldly, such as happiness, love, perfection, or even a tangible possession, and when I can’t acquire it, I turn to despair and to creating perfect scenarios in my head, questioning why I cannot just have them. There are plenty of times when I lose myself to this, but only God can bring me back. Only He can bring me true happiness -- true joy.  

 

Happiness and joy are by no means the same thing. God calls us to be joyful. He never calls us to be happy. I can be mourning, yet joyful in knowing that the Lord is still working in the circumstances surrounding my sorrow. I can be confused and distraught, yet joyful in hoping that He will soon bring clarity to the situation. I can be unsure about everything around me, yet joyful in knowing that the Author of all Creation is guiding me along His path. I am not alone. You are not alone. I promise.

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So is this really all there is? Certainly not. I believe that there is so much more. So much more that God is working in all around us. So much to be thankful for, because, man, we are so blessed. God is good. While that response to the deep hurt this world often seems to hand us may seem like a cop-out answer, I believe it to be true beyond a shadow of a doubt. And with that mindset, I don't think you could possibly not live happily ever after. 

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When life feels overwhelming, bleak, or the weight of the world seems to crush me, I am reminded of the sweet words spoken to me by one of the wisest women I know. As my Aunty Prabha would say, "Life is a lot easier than they tell you it is, dear."