…today’s secret…Cain and Abel
God spoke the universe into existence, created man, and gave him absolute authority over the earth, including the ability to disobey God.
No problem.
When Adam and Eve disobeyed, God found himself on the outside looking in, knowing his world would now be filled with sin.
Problem.
Sin included death as Cain showed Abel the exit ramp we must all take one day.
Abel had to be upset at this. He had done all the right things. He had worked hard, sacrificed, and expected all the good in the world to descend upon him.
What got descended was a rock to the side of his head by his brother.
We are in a funky time period right now in our history where good intentions and hard work isn’t always rewarded.
You can look both right and left and see good guys failing and bad guys winning.
If the people you are helping would talk to you, they would tell you that life is not fair.
They would ask, “Who are the winners and losers these days?”
“Why should I obey the rules when it appears that life’s spoils are being handed out randomly?”
Yes, it’s hard to tell them these days the American Dream is based on hard work and not luck.
The problem here is that we live in a time where people mistake pleasure for happiness. You can pursue and buy pleasure, but not happiness.
Link these two words for future reference…
Happiness is a by-product of being grateful for something.
The moments in your life that made you happy were moments in which you were grateful for something. Something.
The people you are helping have been at times happy in their life also. It was also the moments they were grateful for something.
The work you are doing with them is not all warm, fuzzy, and lovey-dovey. It is hard for them, and your effort sometimes causes them pain, suffering, and sacrifice. You may feel the same way on your end.
So, if you stick with them, and they stick with you, they will be grateful for your effort and, in the end, happy you have helped them.
My guess is that Abel was grateful and therefore happy before becoming dead. Cain was not happy. He was just the second bad apple.
Be grateful and stay happy.
