Life is like a walk along the River.

Sometimes I walk along the River near my place, looking out for pelicans or dolphins or black swans. But I can’t find them! Although it’s usually easier to find pelicans or black swans. Dolphins are a little more elusive and months can go by without seeing them. But if instead I go for a walk along the River to spend time with a valued friend, unexpectedly I stumble upon them – the dolphins or the pelicans. And very occasionally, it’s both!

So if in Life, when I am constantly looking out for happiness or personal fulfillment as my end goal, they prove elusive. But if I’m learning to walk with God in love, truth and grace, then the end products of happiness or fulfillment are also there. But they are the by-product, not the goal.