In one Charles Schultz’s Peanut cartoon strip, Lucy asks Charlie Brown, “Why do you think we’re put on earth, Charlie Brown?”   Charlie replies, “To make others happy.”Lucy ponders, “I don’t think I’m making anyone very happy …. Of course, nobody’s making me very happy either.”  Then in the final panel, Lucy screams at the top of her lungs … “SOMEBODY’S NOT DOING THEIR JOB!”

A few weeks ago, I spent some time at the Charles Schultz exhibit at the Minnesota History Center. It was interesting to see how Schultz described each character in his Peanut’s cartoon strip, as various parts of his personality. When he was having a bad day, “Lucy,” would be doing something, like the example above.

The comic strip’s staying power, is that it touches our human condition. From days when we are at our gracious best, to moments when we would just like to scream at the world.

The happiest people I know are those who are busy doing for others. Happiness is more a state of the soul than something others do to us. Like its cousin Joy,  Happiness comes from a sense of contentment with the world . . .  A sense of being at peace with God and with each other.

“You show me the path of life.
In your presence there is fullness of joy;
in your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” Psalm 16:11