Happy in a Sad World

By Sharon D. Smith

Happy In a Sad World requires the reader to take time to think and consider each lesson in the book. The chapters are called lessons, and each lesson covers a particular difficult situation in life. It tells of ways to overcome trials and temptations that may occur by using Scriptures and past experiences. Whether it be marriage, children, finances or politics, the lessons in this book reveal ways to keep happiness in your life while going through hard times.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Oct 27, 2018
• ISBN: 9781973642121

Sharon D. Smith

Mother, Grandmother, Administrator, Teacher and Author. SHARON D. SMITH was raised in the city of her birth, New York City and still resides there. In addition to her previous books, beginning with My Life at the World Trade Center, Screen Door: A Memoir, The Black Pentecostal Church: My View from the Pew, she has written and produced two gospel songs titled, Take The Pain Away and Whenever I Call On Him (He Will Answer Prayer).

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Copyright © 2018 Sharon D. Smith.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Scripture taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

WestBow Press

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

ISBN: 978-1-9736-4213-8 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-9736-4214-5 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-9736-4212-1 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2018912081

WestBow Press rev. date: 10/10/2018

Contents

Foreword

Scripture

Dedication

Introduction

Lesson 1 Politically Speaking—Why Are We So Sad?

Lesson 2 Be Angry But Sin Not

Lesson 3 Abundant Life

Lesson 4 Peace Beyond All Understanding

Lesson 5 Unscrambling Scrambled Eggs

Lesson 6 Honor Thy Father and Mother

Lesson 7 The Tenth Commandment

Lesson 8 Arise Out of Thy Sleep

Lesson 9 Why Don’t You Just ASK Me?

Lesson 10 Ain’t Nobody Callin’ You!

Lesson 11 Put Your Trust in Jesus

Epilogue

Acknowledgments

Foreword

Chaos, devastation and disappointment often results in the absence of happiness. It is possibly because happiness is predicated on One’s happenings.

This author, Sharon Smith takes a passionate biblical didactic approach to reveal lessons learned through political stance, tragedies, family circumstance and marriage that may have resulted in unhappiness.

The lessons revealed through these pages will cause the reader to reflect upon life’s happenings of despair and mishaps. The reflection will reveal the need to remove the lenses used to view life and acquire new lenses to give sight to the happiness within the chaos, devastation and disappointment.

Dr Zavette D Smallwood, D.Min.

Lyrics to the song Trade Winds

Written by Ralph McDonald and William Salter

Here I stand looking, looking around me,

While all around me, what do I see?

Unhappy faces behind a painted smile,

Heartache and loneliness dressed up in modern style,

Unhappy people livin’ in sin and shame—

Reflections of myself; life is no easy game.

We are caught in the trade winds,

The trade winds of our time.

Scripture

But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.

—1 Timothy 6:6–8 (KJV)

Dedication

This book is dedicated to my mother, Rev. Dr. Ruth D. Singletary, BA, MA, DD, a fearless, headstrong, dedicated woman of God, who loves all six of her children (two have passed away) with an unconditional love. I am blessed to have a mother who taught me the Lord’s Prayer and the Twenty-Third Psalm when we were young. Today, we know both by heart; the words flow out of us like our ABCs. She encourages us, still prays for us, and gives wisdom and knowledge to live a saved and sanctified life.

Introduction

This book contains chapters, which I will call lessons, and from these lessons I hope the readers will learn how to keep happiness in their lives. The lessons illustrate situations we may face in our everyday lives to help us recognize and better circumvent these hurdles. I am offering stories from personal experiences, as well as the Bible, to learn from. Hopefully, by the end of this book, people will have learned from others’ mistakes and pitfalls and will avoid making the same mistakes.

My purpose in writing this book is to encourage the discouraged, give light to those walking in darkness, and let readers know there is still hope in this world. No matter what people are going through, no matter how bad things are, the Lord is with us. People are upset, stressed out, and unbelievably sad. However, if we learn how to trust God, when horrible situations eventually become our horrible situations, we will be better able to guard our hearts against unnecessary stress. The Bible says in Romans 5:3–5 (KJV),

And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulders.

—Isaiah 9:6a (KJV)

Lesson 1

Politically Speaking—

Why Are We So Sad?

Have you ever laughed so hard you thought you were going to die? I mean a good belly laugh that took you a few seconds to catch your breath after it? A laughter that brings tears to your eyes. For those few minutes of full joy and happiness, all troubles, stress, anxieties, and sorrows seemed to vanish. The Bible states in Proverbs 22:17b (KJV), A merry heart doeth good like a medicine. Laughter can help heal the emotional and physical stress a person might be going through. There are medical science accounts that tell of the positive effects a person can receive from laughter. An article in Charisma magazine states, Laughter gives endorphins, which act much the same as morphine … If a person is happy, he will have significantly fewer serious illnesses … And laughter, happiness and joy are perfect antibodies for stress.¹ We need to find more occasions to laugh. Even in times of trouble, find a book, a television program, or a friend who makes you laugh. I’m sure everyone will agree, in these days and times, laughter is good medicine.

People are really stressed out about politics now, and about how our government is going against our values and way of life. Centuries before our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ came into this world in the flesh, it was foretold in the book of Isaiah that the government will be upon his shoulder (Isaiah 9:6 KJV). The Lord knew that kingdoms and rulers will come and go; some good and profitable for the people, and others bad and burdensome. He would need to carry the government on his shoulder for the people to live a more quiet and peaceable life.

A few hours before the new year of 2018 came in, I attended a Watch Night service in Harlem, New York. Yes, I was very disappointed that Hillary Clinton did not win the presidential election. Just like a lot of people in the country, I was very, very shocked that this country elected a man like Donald Trump. Other than that, I was not so depressed that I did not want to live anymore. At the news of our newly elected president, I was shocked and stunned and deeply saddened, as Joe Scarborough of Morning Joe cable news likes to say. When our new president was sworn into office, I kept on praying for God’s blessings and His protection from all evil and went on with life.

At the Watch Night service, just about every speaker who approached the podium stated how horrible the year 2017 had been. I did not totally agree. Except for the election of our new president, and the horrible hurricanes and earthquakes that hit various states in the country (I did not live in the states that were affected), the year was not that bad for me. I have lived through years much worse than 2017, for sure. I am still relatively healthy; my children are all healthy and safe; I have a roof over my head and food to eat, so I was pretty much content in 2017.

However, the events of the day are daunting, to say the least. People wonder how we can conceive of being happy when we see such horrors all around us. With so much sadness and grief in the world, being happy may seem foreign. Our country is engaged in wars and unrest far and wide. Just as the Bible predicts in Matthew 24:7 (KJV), For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. We are experiencing devastating earthquakes, pestilences, and famines in divers places, just as the Word of God predicted. The Bible also predicts in Matthew 24:6 (KJV), And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars. In times past, our country fought one war at a time, as far as we knew. Today, we are engaged in wars in countries we know about and other wars in countries we have no idea about. So many rumors of wars fill the news every day. Matthew 24:6 continues to say, See that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.

With the onset of new technology, feelings of loneliness and sadness seemed to intensify. The computer brought the struggles of lonely people and those on the verge of psychosis into the forefront. People with mental challenges can now use the internet to reach other sad people they otherwise would never have had the chance to reach. Other people, who may be a part of an unpopular religion or part of another kind of minority group, are now able to communicate with groups that once made them feel inferior. People now have access to expose their ugly, unforgiving, and evil views. Before Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, most people only saw the lives of strange people on television. Now we see them as they are. Perhaps we see them too much.

The