Is it okay to be happy?

Yes.


 Okay let me explain where I am coming from. 

Yesterday, I was teaching gym at SLS in Ridgway. We were at the YMCA because of the storm. In one of my classes we played a game called, "Mouse-trap." Half the students were mice and the other half formed hands in a circle and acted as the "mouse-trap."

The goal for the mice is to get into the mousetrap and out without being caught. Pretty difficult. Most students could not do it. But it was fun. Kids were laughing and filled with joy. Until one girl sucessfully entered the mouse trap and exited the other side. 

She was happy. She finally did it. A few more students managed to do it but She was the FIRST. She proclaim a little bit of emotion and gave hugs to a few of her friends. To this celebration two members of the "mouse-trap" were greatly offended. 

Oh did I mention that these kids were 8? So the offended party starts yelling that the offender (or the successful mouse) should not be bragging because it is just a game. 

So who is right? The Mouse or the Mousetrap? The offender or the offended?

So, there I was in the middle of class with conflict. I briefly tried my best to explain there is a difference between bragging and and celebrating. Its okay to be happy that you did something good but it is not okay to make someone else feel bad about it. 


 I'm not sure how much of the talk these students understood.

Have you ever tried to explain the difference between "bragging" and "celebration" to a group of second graders? 

I am just one voice in their life. And I hope to be a good one but they listen to so many voices. Their other teachers, their parents, their coaches,their friends, and many other voices around them. 


But this whole conflict lead to me thinking......is it okay to be happy? I mean if you are a Christian you are suppose to be humble right? Putting others first. And if you are a parent don't you want your children to be humble? You know like Jesus?


Ya, we should be humble. If you believe in Jesus and identify as a Christian you believe that everything you have is a blessing from God. This includes your personality, your talents, even how much money your family has!  It all comes from God and we should be "humble and kind."

But is it okay to be happy? What I mean by is this: Is it okay to celebrate an accomplishment? 

The answer is yes but I need to explain because I know some people that act worst than these 8 year olds. It is okay to be happy. It is okay to celebrate what you did and celebrate what others have done. 


At the same time we should not be a jerk (by the way I don't think this girl was being a jerk or her intentions were to hurt someone's feelings). I just think that they were taught that it was not okay to celebrate because it meant you were bragging.


But I will tell you , and maybe myself, the same thing. We celebrate to give God the glory. We thank Him for helping us to achieve our goal. And we do not put others down. 


But what if that wasn't my intention? What if I wasn't trying to hurt someone's feeling by how I acted? Well, since it is not about you, its about how God has gifted you, then just tone down the celebration. 

Because after all its just Gym Class.