I’m having lunch with my husband and an older friend who joined us from out of town. He asks about my experience with God, my life in general, and my discussion with friends about personal happiness. He gently interrupts to offer some wisdom from an entire life of learning and growing in Christ.
When my elders speak, I listen.
He says:
“Remember that Christianity does not offer happiness. It is not about happiness. It’s that God is with you. God is with you, and life becomes abundant. God is with you through every trial, every pain, and every disappointing thing.”
God is with you.
Later on, he shares about some terrible things he has lived through. I ask with that innocence of someone who only knows tragedy from a distance, “How did you do it? How did you manage?”
He says, “Well, it takes two. Jesus was with me.”
The older I grow, the more pain I know. It’s all around me. I’m so encouraged, though. I’m encouraged to know that it was never about happiness. It was always about being with God.
And that is far better.
Living with flair means this: “It takes two. Jesus was with me.”