February Blog 2025
The Joy is in the Journey
Dear St Mark’s and Friends,
I recently read a news article on the secret of happiness. *Spoiler alert* the author’s conclusion was that there is no secret to happiness.
I have to say, that although I wasn’t necessarily expecting to agree with whatever he came up with (as for me the answer is rooted in Jesus) I still found myself being disappointed that he didn’t have this one catch-all sentence to offer to humanity about how we can be happier. What he did offer, however, is that: “It’s out there in plain sight, all around us, waiting to be found. But it is not ever present.” (Fergal Keane, 26.1.25)
This got me thinking, and I wondered what would happen if, instead of pursuing other things, we chose to put some or some more time into our relationship with God, who through the Holy Spirit is ever present… What would our lives be like if we made the active decision to choose to look up to God rather than looking down at our phones or wherever we find ourselves in the landscape of our lives. Would we more fully know who God is and be blown away by the invitation of relationship with the Almighty through Jesus?
This, what if question, is a question that has followed me for a long time. As a child, the only books I managed to finish were about Christian missionaries or church leaders and many of them start with: ‘I decided to give more time to God’ (whether that was choosing to turn the TV off for an evening, or spend more time Bible studying or praying)…and then this massive adventure unfolds, and time and time again I found myself asking God if I could have an adventure story with him like they did.
The Bible, like those in the books I read as a kid, is full of moments when people chose to, or chose not to, accept the invitation of relationship with God. We see time and time again that those who choose to accept have the privilege of living life with God and the journey that they go on together.
In Matthew 14:22-33, we find out that Jesus walked on water. In these verses we also find out that this is a moment where Peter chooses to move away from his fear and instead chooses to trust in Jesus.
26-28: When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.
But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”
“Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”
“Come,” he said.
This leads to an amazing adventure of Peter walking on the water with Jesus. Peter gets to tell the story with ‘and I stepped out of the boat on to the water’ whereas the others have to say ‘Peter stepped out of the boat and on to the water’. I know I’m a bit jealous of Peter, are you? Peter trusts Jesus was there as his safety net and when his faith started to wobble – verse 31: “Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him.”
I wonder where a little (more) faith might lead us? A couple of years ago, I read an article about Billy Graham and how the streets, buses and trains etc were filled with people who had been to some of his events and how because of meeting with God they couldn’t help but sing worship songs in these places…and for a time this was ‘normal’ – sounds great to me.
I know for me, when I choose to spend more time with God my life is ‘happier’. Now, that doesn’t mean it’s easier, or that nothing bad happens in it. It does mean, it’s, somehow, more rooted and grounded and has more purpose. In some senses nothing changes, whilst at the same time everything else does. I still take my kids to and from school and their activities, I still go to work, cook, and ignore the fact that my car really needs a clean, but there is an internal fullness that was lacking before.
This is the adventure that I want to continue to journey on. I’m sure there will continue to be parts that I find hard, just like walking up a mountain, but I bet the view at the top is fantastic and to stand there with God sounds even better. When I have stepped out in faith, I have loved the adventure, I have found happiness along the way, and I’d love to experience this ‘God happiness’ more. I think Tim Hughes’ song ‘Pocket Full of Faith’ can help us to experience some of the joy that can be experienced if we choose to go on the journey with God, no matter how big or small you currently feel your faith is.
So, after reading this, what’s the outcome? Well, happiness is out there to be found, but for me, real joy is found in relationship with God. So, I suppose all that’s left to ask is: ‘Do you want to come on the journey too?’
Cat Stinson