How To Feel Really Good

A Theology professor in a midwestern seminary tells of a casual conversation he once had with an old friend:

A good friend of mine sat in my office, thinking out loud about whatever came to mind. The topics ranged from his marriage, to his career, to the quality of his walk with the Lord. As the conversation continued, his mood became increasingly thoughtful, not gloomy but quietly and deeply reflective…His life has known a few trials, but nothing remarkably different from what most middle-aged men have experienced. His friends describe him as friendly, hard-working, loyal and sincere. Everyone agrees he’s a solid, well-adjusted person.

After nearly an hour of reflective rambling, his thoughtful mood shifted into a profoundly sad, almost desperate loneliness. As though talking to no one in particular, he quietly asked this astonishing question: “I wonder what it would be like to feel really good for just ten minutes?”1

An astonishing question, and yet, has any one of us not…