Author Joseph Campbell often talked about "following your bliss." I heard of a bus driver in Chicago who does just that.He sings while he drives. That’s right... sings! And I don’t mean he sings softly to himself, either. He sings so that the whole bus can hear! All day long he drives and sings.
He was once interviewed on Chicago television. He said that he is not actually a bus driver. "I’m a professional singer," he asserted. "I only drive the bus to get a captive audience every single day."
His "bliss" is not driving a bus, though that may be a source of enjoyment for some people. His bliss is singing. And the supervisors at the Chicago Transit Authority are perfectly happy about the whole arrangement. You see, people line up to ride his bus. They even let other busses pass by so they can ride with the "singing bus driver." They love it!
Here is a man who believes he knows why he was put here on earth. For him, it is to make people happy. And the more he sings, the more people he makes happy! He has found a way to align his purpose in living with his occupation. By following his bliss, he is actually living the kind of life he believes he was meant to live.
Not everybody can identify a purpose in life. But when you do, and when you pursue it, you will be living the kind of life you feel you were meant to live. And what’s more, you will be happy.
When are you happy these days? Knee deep in a snow bank, peering through the lens to capture the light and shadow makes me happy. Capturing a poinsettia bloom nestled among hundreds of other plants or witnessing the pre-dawn sun as its subtle light falls on snow covered evergreens. Then it might be arranging a Spring bouquet of flowers, or brushing Rhythm, a blind horse in one eye who helps me get my balance after another busy week.
God prays for us as we reflect: “You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy…” (Psalm 30:11).
Lord, I pray for all my Sonshine Friends that they may be filled with many moments of joy hugging grandkids, enjoying the beauty of a winter snowfall, or sharing a table with family and friends. May our souls leap for joy as we discover your presence in all things great and small.
