“I’m glad in God, far happier than you would ever guess—happy that you’re again showing such strong concern for me. Not that you ever quit praying and thinking about me. You just had no chance to show it. Actually, I don’t have a sense of needing anything personally. I’ve learned by now to be quite content whatever my circumstances. I’m just as happy with little as with much, with much as with little. I’ve found the recipe for being happy whether full or hungry, hands full or hands empty. Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am. I don’t mean that your help didn’t mean a lot to me—it did. It was a beautiful thing that you came alongside me in my troubles.
The other day, I was reading something that asked the question about which person (deceased or living) I would most like to meet, and having thought about it for a bit, I decided my answer was: Paul. What an amazing man he must have been! Quick to encourage his readers in the Christian walk, and quick to lead by example, this is a man to emulate. Here, Paul offers his “recipe for being happy” which is to be content in all seasons. He is quick to say, though, that he is not ungrateful for all the help he has received. May it be that like Paul, we also appreciate his recipe for happiness even as we strive to give each other a helping hand.
