Bins of Happiness

It's hard, even for me, to admit how shallow I am sometimes. That the purchase of clearance priced organizing bins at Target could bring such happiness to my soul is really somewhat embarassing in light of the tragedies around the world. But, it is what it is.

I have been struggling lately with happiness. Is it OK to be happy and joyful when others are suffering so much? I moped about for four days, explaining to the children that there were people losing their homes, their lives, their entire beings...

I checked our stockpile of water and canned goods...

I discussed the endless neediness of the world's poor with my husband on our date night as we debated ordering another appetizer...

We prayed...and prayed some more.

But, today, I just feel that I have to take a little break from the sadness. We are prayerful, we are giving (although it never quite seems like enough when I am watching CNN), we are doing what we can and trying to find better ways to do more, and I hope that it is OK to be happy for a moment...without seeming unkind.

So, in order to regain a little joy, we bought bins--we tried to do it without breaking the bank or being frivolous...but, we ended up being a little frivolous.

But, I feel like it has helped me take better care of the things with which God has blessed us. Clothes are now stacked neatly in our bins on two long shelves (it was laundry day today--again! Mondays jus tkeep on comin'), craft supplies, paper and coloring books are housed neatly in another, and the puzzles and games are stacked above all this so I don't have to pick up the pieces to the fishy game ONE MORE TIME for a good long while...

I open the closet sometimes on the way down the hall when I am a little sad or grumpy, and voila! Momentary happiness. I would post pictures of the closet itself but my camera, camera cord and computer are not getting along well these days.

I am so thankful for my bloggy friends with whom I can share sadness and happiness, and with whom I can join hands and keyboards to support those far more in need of joy right now than we...I am thankful for healthy children, who don't have any idea what true misery and need are like (neither do I really), and I am hopeful that we can remember, even in our frivolity, that things are fleeting, God is truth, and love is the substance for which we strive.

And I am also thankful for these...