Sixth Former Kristin Harper addressed the School community at Church Assembly on Thursday, October 23.  Kristin spoke of her firm belief that God is with us, not only in happy moments but when we are challenged, too, and that knowing that God is with us while we suffer is an important step toward finding happiness.

The full transcript of Kristin's talk follows.

A reading from First Kings, Chapter 19:

"The angel said to Elijah, 'Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.'  Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; ¹²and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of sheer silence. ¹³When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave."

"It's a very hot July afternoon.  The sun is beating down on my back.  Sweat runs down my spine.  Pieces of hay stick to my arms as I hoist the bales into the loft high above my head.  Why do I do this?  Because I enjoy the riding lessons I get from working at the barn.  The peacefulness and the joy I get from being around horses and working with them and my friends keeps me going through the summer heat.

"For me, my happiness comes from many different places, but mostly from riding.  Don't get me wrong, I enjoy other things, just riding has been a passion of mine for a while.  And to tell you the truth, I came upon it by accident.  I had spent the night at my friend's house and she brought me to the barn next day.  I helped her with the mucking out and cleaning and fell in Love with it all.  For me, this is where my happiness is, my peace.  This is where I can feel a deeper presence beyond myself.  Some people feel peace in running on the playing fields.  Some enjoy blowing up chemicals in the lab.  And it's weird how we can say that it's God that we feel in these places, but I guess it's true.  If you agree that God is goodness and happiness, then technically, God is in everything that is happy.  He must be present when we feel happy.  I'm not trying to say that we can just look up whenever we laugh and say, 'Hey, thanks God, that was a funny joke,' or that we can know that God must have been in that Hot Fudge Sundae, but I think you all get where I'm coming from.  He is in the simple choices that we make.  Small choices that can lead to our happiness.  And I don't think that is an accident.  God must be in those unexpected decisions that form into our happy moments.  

"But it's easy to know God when we are happy.  When we are at our best, it is easy to see Him there.  I can find some happiness in the daily things I do, finally finishing a paper, having a picnic outside, or just reading a good book.  I can find joy there.  But it is so much harder when suffering comes.  Being happy is not the only thing to life.  In fact, I believe that suffering dominates happiness.  How many times have the adults in our lives said that life isn't fair?  But why is that?  Through all of the diseases and illnesses and the murderers that walk around, how can we possibly go on and enjoy ourselves?  Where was God when my father had to learn to walk again?  Where was God when my mother was in a car accident?  Where is He now?  We always ask ourselves these questions.  I know that I probably have no right asking them, but still, I wonder.

"Now that I think about it, I think I have already told you the answer:  the fact that we still have happiness in our lives.  The fact that we still can go on, that we have the ability to move on, though it is hard.  That is how God is with us.

"My grandmother always says that 'God helps those who help themselves.'  What I think that means is that if we really want to be happy, we must first try to be happy ourselves.  Happiness doesn't just come from nowhere; you have to try to make it.  And one thing I have learned from those cheesy Hallmark cards is that you don't have to suffer alone.  You have friends and family and whether you believe it or not, you have God there too.  So, while it's easy to say that God was there during the happiness; remember that He must be present even more so through all of the pain.  So when I am sweating out in the hot sun, hoisting hay bales and moving piles of manure I find that it is just one more step in the process of finding happiness.  And hopefully I will forget about my suffering and remember only my joy."