Happiness and Joy Beat Discomfort

Last night was a great night. We had some of our favorite people over for dinner-the Sutton posse. I call them a posse because there are a lot of them. There is Darla (mom), Marissa (8th grader), Kylie (7th grader), Brady (4 years old), and Katelyn (3 years old). Of course there is dad-Reed. Reed currently took a job in Alabama, where he is currently living. Darla and the kids have stayed behind in Houston to sell the house and finish school. They travel in a pack; you can’t find one without three others following. They drive a cargo van everywhere they go. They are a great family or posse. I love to be around them because they are so much fun.
I have to tell you a little about myself to understand the rest of the story. (no, this is not a Paul Harvey story). I am a pretty private person, very independent, a loner, I value my quiet time, and probably the most important thing is I value my space. I do not go out much; I do not do a lot away from work. This to those that know me the best will find it shocking that I had a large group like the Sutton posse over to my house for no special reason. However, I love to see my wife happy and more importantly my daughter happy. So, to have the Sutton children to play with my daughter makes her extremely happy, and to have Darla visit with my wife makes her very happy. It does however cause me to be a little uncomfortable.
Last night there were kids everywhere, and they all wanted to do something different. Ok, the truth is they did not want to sit on the couch like me and quietly watch television. Darla wanted to visit with my wife, and I know they needed a break from kids; so I was left as the entertainment for the kids. Do not get me wrong, I love kids, but they were everywhere. To make things worse, as anal as I am, they would get it out, I would pick it up, and then they would get something else out. I think it became some kind of game. At one point, I look over and Kylie is lying on my favorite couch wrapped in my favorite blanket; wow some nerve. I thought they were moving in!
I was uncomfortable, even to the point that I had to go outside for awhile; but I think God was teaching me a lesson, because it was lightning pretty bad, so it was not a great night to be outside. As the night wore on, I felt my discomfort leave as I watched all the smiles in the room. I learned that sometimes doing what is uncomfortable is ok, when others around you are happy. I think everyone was happy last night. At the end of the night I was happy, mostly because everyone else was. Happiness and joy can be contagious and it got me last night. Happiness and joy can overcome discomfort- it worked for me.