Sunset Barometer

There’s an episode of Gilmore Girls where the ever-neurotic Paris Gellar wants to know what Rory got on her SAT. I found a site that has a transcript of the episode and rather than try to explain what I’m talking about, you can read it.

Paris: So, did you get your scores back yet?
Rory: Yup.
Paris: And?
Rory: I’m happy.
Paris: How happy?
Rory: Pretty happy.
Paris: Yes, but how do I know that you’re not one of those people who gets pretty happy looking at a sunset? How do I know what your barometer is for being happy is?
Rory: You don’t.
Paris: Right. So are you?
Rory: Am I what?
Paris: Are you one of those people who gets pretty happy looking at a sunset?
Rory: I don’t get unhappy looking at a sunset.
Paris: What did you get?
Rory: That’s personal.
Paris: Why won’t you tell me?
Rory: ‘Cause it’s none of your business.
Paris: Okay, fine, don’t tell me what you got.
Rory: I won’t.
Paris: Why won’t you tell me your score?
Rory: Bye Paris.
Paris: You’re not torturing me, you know. I don’t care. My scores were great. I’m very, very happy with my scores. And I hate looking at a sunset so my standard for happiness is high!

 It makes me laugh every time. Paris is so competitive it’s out of control. Unfortunately, I did not take the SATs- wait did I say unfortunately? I meant luckily. I don’t know what a “good” score is. I did take the ACT but at my high school, the only people who take the SAT are going to Ivy League schools. And some people did. Hey, you be you.

The point of this post is not about comparing scores. It’s not even about sunsets.

I don’t think I’m one of those people who gets really happy about a sunset, but I honestly believe I am gifted to see the beauty in the little things in life. Sometimes this translates to little things getting me way more bummed out than they should. Allow me to elaborate:

• When I hit play in the morning and the shuffle function picks exactly the score I want it to pick, that makes me happy. I expect that shuffle works that way, so sometimes I’m upset when it doesn’t. However, when it does work, it makes my morning. 
• When my ID works in the door’s card reader the first time that makes me happy. 
• When ‘my’ table is open in the commons. That makes me really happy. 

•  When my latte has a lot of foam in it that bums me out. Whatever don’t judge me. 
•  When I drop something, pick it up, and then drop It again, that bums me out. 
• When I say something in class and then it really doesn’t fit with the discussion that bums me out (and it discourages me from talking for the rest of the class). 
• When the formatting gets so messed up that I have to retype the whole post (a la this entry) that bums me out.

So what does that all mean? That I’m just a flibbertigibbet and a will-o’-the-wisp? No. Little things pick up or smash happiness, but that does not impact joy.

Joy. It’s so much better than being happiness. Happy is temporary and circumstantial. Deep-seated joy is not shaken by the everyday. Psalms 16:9 talks about joy and comfort in a big way: “Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices’ my flesh also dwells secure.” What does that mean to have your whole body rejoice? I don’t know! It sounds great. And the security is there at the end of the verse, to be totally safe and surrounded. Wow. Who doesn’t want that?

There are tons of things in the Bible about rejoicing and joy and all the derivatives of that. A quick search brought up that verse in Psalms.

In corporate emails, sometimes there’s an “Action Required” section so here it is-

Action Required: Do not let yourself get down in the trials of today (homework or annoying roommates or picky profs or aching head). Do have a bigger perspective. Remind self- God is good and He loves me.