Happy Trees

When I was a little girl, one of my heroes in life was Bob Ross. We didn't have cable and one of the few channels that came in on our antennae was PBS, so we watched a lot of educational television. One of my favorites was his Joy of Painting, during which he would paint pastoral scenes of woods and mountains often with "happy trees" and quaint sheds and fence rows. I distinctly remember trying to emulate his work, and not really understanding why my Crayola watercolors didn't give me the same effect as his fan brushes and palette knives.

I would go on to take art classes all though high school and major in design in college, taking what I learned from his Saturday morning lessons with me. I didn't notice, when I was eight or nine, the sorts of things Ross would talk about during his painting sessions. I was more distracted with wondering whether or not he was going to bring his domesticated pet squirrel to the studio that day (what kid wouldn't be??). In recent years I came across this image and quote from Ross comparing life and art:

I never realized, watching his show, how complicated his life might have been. Admittedly I know next to nothing about his life,  except that he liked squirrels, and painting. I have no idea what this sadness in life was. I do remember, however, that he always seemed happy. He was always joyful, despite whatever was going on behind the scenes. And like Bob Ross, continuing to paint happy trees even when he was experiencing sorrow, we are called to be joyful even in suffering.  I Peter 1:6-7 calls us to "... be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold - though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world." 

Joy and happiness are not mutually exclusive emotions. It's hard to stay joyful during trying times but remembering the "wonderful joy ahead" will make the trials worthwhile.