"At first I am overwhelmed, and all my little happinesses look like broken toys. Then, slowly and reluctantly, bit by bit, I try to bring myself into the frame of mind that I should be in all times. I remind myself that all these toys were never intended to possess my heart, that my true good is in another world and my only real treasure is Christ"
Upon reading these lines I realized I have thought these thoughts before, and been in this situation. There are times, probably in everyone's life when things are going great. You are on a vacation, you have a new book to read, movie to watch, or game to play when you get sick, and are reminded that these pleasures are fleeting, doomed to fade if not soon, eventually. I remember one instance when I was on vacation as a kid, flying over the majestic Grand Canyon in Arizona in a five passenger plane when I got airsick. There was nowhere to go, nothing to do but let it out. Wow, did I feel horrible. Not only was there a big mess, but I was incredibly embarrassed, or perhaps ashamed is the better word. Whereas a few moments before I was so exited and elated to see such a cool place, my enjoyment turned to pain. While I don't think I learned the lesson C.S. Lewis suggests, that material pleasures are fleeting, I do believe it humbled me a bit.
It wasn't until later, upon contemplation on whether I truly believe in God (and decided I do), that I learned this lesson. There have been countless instances since that flight where I was so happy one moment, just to have pain take that happiness away a moment later. It has made me realize that happiness, specifically in material things, isn't everything. God is the only constant in this world, the only goal a person can stride for that will always be there. Aiming for anything else than to know and love God is like shooting an arrow at a target that might disappear a moment later, in the end it is just a waste of time.
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