Not long ago I was interviewed by a media outlet and I was sharing my enthusiasm, love and optimism for great things we are doing to end family homelessness, hunger, and addiction. We weren’t long into the interview before the reporter was getting overwhelmed with the sad state of affairs, the crisis situations, and sheer volume of challenges that we are facing at the Rescue Mission.
He then asked me a question I’ve been asked many times before and since, although each time in a slightly different form, “How can you keep smiling through all this pain and suffering?”
Joy is not just happiness, joy is the anticipation of great things happening, so it IS possible to be joyful when you are surrounded by pain, hurting and difficulty.
Here’s a few clues for those who are tempted to hold onto their pain, and the pain of others, in order to help every one feel better.
1. You Can Never Be Sad Enough to Make Someone Happy. Life just doensn’t work that way. While it would be grotesque to celebrate while others mourn, there is no track record of getting so sad, that you actually cheer someone up. It doesn’t happen for me, and it won’t happen for you. Joy on the other hand, can help to ease the burdens and pains of others.
2. Joy and Love work Together. It’s loving to be joyful, anticipating great things happening, in the lives of those who are struggling. So much of the emotional work of life is done by focusing on those emotions and outcomes we hope to achieve in life. When you are focusing on love, on great things happening, on creating joy and meaning in the lives of others…sadness and pain are diminished.
3. Joy Brings Hope. My goal is to bring Help, Hope, and Healing to those we serve. That’s the goal of our organization. There’s a reason why we don’t have slogan that says “The Rescue Mission- We feel sorry for you”, because focusing on sadness, pain and anger doesn’t bring a resulting life transformation and healing. Instead, focusing on the great things that could happen brings joy and joy brings hope, direction and healthy behavior.
Don’t let the troubles of those you serve give you a heavy heart, remember: “You can never be sad enough to make someone happy”.
David Curry
