Ilove the blending of fairy tales and contemporary fiction in literature and film, so one of my favorite movies is Disney’s “Enchanted,” and my all-time favorite TV show is ABC’s “Once Upon a Time.” In both of these stories, the antagonists banish characters from their respective fantasy worlds to our world because of their own selfish ambitions.
In “Once Upon a Time,” the evil queen Regina casts a spell that transfers all of the characters from their fairy tale homes in her world to the fictitious modern-day town of Storybrooke, Maine, to ensure the misery of everyone but herself, and especially of Snow White. In “Enchanted,” the wicked queen Narissa sends the bride-to-be of her stepson to New York City, “a place,” according to the queen, “where there are no ‘happily ever afters.'”
We might chuckle when television shows or movies such as these portray our world as one of desolation, especially when the world they come from appears much more innocent or exciting than ours. However, I reject the notion that the world we live in, the world our Creator spoke into existence and said was good, is a bleak place.
Fortunately, in both the movie and the show, the heroes and heroines seem to reject this notion as well, and they often find reasons to rejoice even in the most hostile circumstances. Similarly, I believe this is what Christians should do: Seek the good — in every situation. The Bible does not promise us an easy road; on the contrary, Scripture tells us that trials will come. But that does not mean we have to lose our happiness. We can and should look for the blessings that come from the challenges we face, and we should be encouraged by them. As Philippians 4:8 indicates, we should let our thoughts dwell on the positives in good times and bad.
We are reaching a point in the semester when quizzes are numerous, the club process is well under way and major events such as the Annual Bible Lectureship and Homecoming are quickly approaching, and it can be tempting to let our increasingly full schedules rob us of our joy. Our focus, though, should be on celebrating the benefits of these things, not worrying about the tension we feel from trying to get everything accomplished.
If classes are tough, rejoice that you are getting an education, an opportunity that many people do not have. If you are nervous about the social club induction process, whether you are a prospective member or a current member, rejoice that you have the chance to meet many wonderful people. If work takes up a lot of your time, rejoice that you have a job and are gaining experience that you can apply to your future career.
Perhaps you are facing challenges of greater magnitude than school or work. Even so, I encourage you to look for the bright side of your situation. The blessings may not be readily apparent, but you can take heart that God is working for your spiritual good through these difficulties (James 1:2-4; Romans 8:28).
I hope that your semester is going swimmingly and that you are taking pleasure in all of your activities. But if you are struggling right now, I hope you will look for the silver lining — because happiness is seeking the good.
