Once upon a time there was a young man in high school, and he was unhappy. He was unhappy in the sense that he enjoyed momentary things such as his friends, and food, and family. But he was unhappy because despite these momentary things he felt empty inside, like something was missing. So the young man gave it some thought and concluded “I may be unhappy now, but if I wait a bit, I will be truly happy when I go to College and have some freedom!” So he waited, and one day he went to college.

However college did not make the man happy either! He had new friends, and new experience, but the void was still there. He still felt like something was missing. Wondering how he could have so many good things in life, and still feel empty the young man thought about this some and said to himself “I may be unhappy now, but if I wait a bit, I will be truly happy when I graduate and make lots of money!” So he waited, and one day he did graduate, and made lots of money.

However money didn’t fill his void either. He yet again had all many reasons to be happy but still felt empty inside. So the man thought for a while then said to himself “I may be unhappy now, but if I wait a bit, I will be truly happy when I get married and settle down with a few kids.”

The man continued on this path of thinking, waiting till the kids were out of diapers, then till they were in school, then till they graduated, till they moved out, and finally till the not so young man retired.
All this time gone by, but even retirement was not enough for this now old man. He had gotten everything he waited for over and over again, and yet he still felt empty inside. So one last time the unhappy old man thought for awhile and said to himself “I may be unhappy now, but if I wait a bit, I will die, and then I won’t have to try and be happy anymore. So he waited, and one day he died.

In this sad story, the man was missing lasting happiness. He had many things to give him happiness in one current moment, but nothing to make that happiness last a lifetime. It is this lifetime of happiness that Christians attribute to having a relationship with God. A relationship that is greater than any tangible possession on earth, or status that can be achieved.

In some ways you could say the moral of the story is asking the question: Are you like the unhappy man, waiting to find happiness in the next big thing in life, or are you ready to look for happiness in the giver of life?