Finding Contentment

On Twitter/Facebook yesterday, I re-tweeted this quote from Nancy Leigh DeMoss: If we are not content with what we have, we will never be content with what we think we want.

Wow.

As expected, I didn’t get a lot of “likes” from that post.

How often do I fall into the trap of just knowing that the grass must be greener in someone else’s yard?  It must be – she’s smarter, prettier, more successful, a better writer, musician, and on and on…!  Yet, God has called me to this life – the one that I lead today.  He has used my past to prepare me for service in this place, not in someone else’s.  But I still feel the pull to be discontent.

I’m not talking about not being content with our walk with God.  Until we reach Heaven, we will always long for something more.  Believers in Christ are not at home in this world, and we will always long for the “more” that awaits us when we finally see the Lord face to face.  We are always striving to be more obedient, more holy, more loving – and this is a good striving, a productive longing as we progress in our sanctification.

But in our worldly natures, a lack of contentment abounds.  It causes all sorts of problems.  Marriages fail because one spouse believes that he or she will find more with someone else.  We fail to serve those around us because we believe that they owe us something.  We do not serve in our churches because we want a better church with a better pastor and more faithful church members.  We don’t love our families as we should because we believe that other families have it better.

Not being content is born from selfish motives – I want something other than what God has given me.  Contentment is born out of obedience and submission to God’s plan for my life.

As the quote above says, we will never find contentment if we cannot be content where God has called us for today.  Being discontent becomes a way of life, selfishly wanting my own way at all costs.  Finding contentment can also become a way of life, if I make the decision each day that I will do what God has called me to do today where He has placed me.

 

A New Years Post…

I’ve been writing posts in my head for the past month or so, but never actually found time to sit down and type them out.  Now that I finally have a few minutes to myself, I find that I don’t know where to begin.

Because this is the first week of the new year, most of my friends on Facebook and elsewhere are talking about resolutions.  Resolutions to lose weight, get out of debt, spend more time with family and friends, and even the evangelically-correct resolution to “make more of Jesus.”  While the idea of forming these resolutions may have its place, I wonder how many of us will actually have a strategic plan to back up these promises we make to ourselves on January 1.  I fear that most of us prefer to be vague about how we intend to keep these resolutions, because that makes it easier when we decide to break them – to skip the gym, to make the impulse purchase, to put the Bible back on the shelf without reading it.

And yet, even though Christmas is now past and the new year is in full swing, I find myself thinking back to the days of Advent – days of expectation, of waiting with hope for something new.  I don’t think that longing ends with Christmas.  The days of Christmas come only once a year, but each day we find ourselves with longings of one sort or another.  It is in these longings that I find myself learning to depend more and more on Jesus as my only hope.  We wait for many things – for a job, for a friend, for children, for recognition, for healing – but all of these things will fail us.  In our longings, only Jesus remains.  He is the only Unchangeable, Unmovable Rock.  He is what we are waiting for.

 

Things I’m Learning

• Needs and wants are not the same thing, and I can do without a lot of the things that I want.  When read in context, Philippians 4:13 is actually talking about Paul’s ability to be content in all circumstances, whether in need or in plenty – “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.”
• God is my “hiding place” – Psalm 32:7.  When I am afraid or lonely, He is the one sure place of protection and deliverance.  Even when others may disappoint, He never does.
• God wants to carry my burdens for me – “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).  When I am anxious, worried, fearful, tired, lonely, or scared, He provides my rest.
• While Jeremiah 29:11 is as true as it has ever been, God’s plans for me are not necessarily my plans.  The ways that he wants to give me “a hope and a future” do not look like I would design them.  I am learning (slowly) to be content with His plans for my life and for my family, even though He may close doors that I would kick open if I could.
• “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men” (Colossians 3:23) – My talents and abilities are to be used for God alone, and not for the praise of man.  I am learning to do whatever I need to do without expecting any sort of recognition, praise, or notice.  If God blesses me with those things, all the glory goes to Him.  If not, I am learning to be content (see a theme?).
• “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight” – Proverbs 3:5-6.

 

Thanksgiving

At the beginning of November, I decided to participate in the “Days of Thanksgiving” going around Facebook.  Each day, I have tried to come up with at least one thing for which I am thankful.  I don’t often participate in these trends on Facebook, but this year, I find myself in a season where I struggle to always be thankful, and I knew that this would be a good exercise.

Today, two days before Thanksgiving, I want to take a few minutes to list some of the “big” things for which I am thankful this year:

• Grace and mercy through Christ, without whom none of the rest of this list would be possible.
• My husband – my best friend, secret-keeper, father of my son, most trusted partner.
• My son – God graciously answered our prayers last year at his birth, and I treasure every day with him.
• Our material blessings – while we are not wealthy, and couponing is now more than just a hobby, we have enough to meet all of our needs, and a few of our wants.
• Family - as we are struggling with the changing health needs of some of our family members, we are thankful for the times of good health and the memories that we have with them.

During this difficult season, I am thankful for the support offered from those friends and family members who have taken extra time to call, e-mail, and text, letting us know that they are thinking of us and praying for us.  If you are reading this, know that any time I see a message from you, it brightens my day.

As you eat your turkey and dressing this year (or whatever your meal of choice may be), I hope that you will also take the time to think of the ways that God has blessed you this year, whether they are big things or small.  Regardless of the size, we know that all our blessings come straight from God.

Happy Thanksgiving!

 

Pay It Ahead

Yesterday, one of the people I follow on Twitter said this:

What are you needing today? – Encouragement, a helping hand, prayer, etc. Go give to someone else what you wish you had.

It dawned on me that this is like “paying it forward,” only better and maybe a little more difficult. Instead of waiting until someone does something nice for you, and then you doing something nice for someone else in return, we should be willing to give even when we believe that we have nothing to offer, and expecting nothing in return.

When we do this – when we give encouragement even when we are discouraged, when we serve even if we need help ourselves, when we pray for others even when we are in need of prayer – yes, we may find that we get something in return.  But, we may not.  We may find that our help is rejected, unappreciated, or unacknowledged.  That’s part of making ourselves vulnerable and real to the people around us.

But, regardless of how others respond, we can know that by ministering to others, we have followed the command of Christ, and our reward should be found in Him, and not in the reactions of others:

And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.  (Matthew 25:40 ESV)

What do you need today?  How can you give it to someone else?

 

The Pruning Process

Sometimes the things we get most attached to, the things we are most proud of, are only taking up space where lasting fruit could be growing. – Jennifer Kennedy Dean, Life Unhindered!

Wow.  I read this quote this week while sitting in our hotel room at the Legacy Center on the campus of Southern Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky.  Southern was and is a place very near to our hearts – Chris has three degrees from there, I worked there for a number of years, and we lived in a nearby neighborhood for almost eight years.

I realize that, at times, our years at Southern and serving at New Salem Baptist Church in Cox’s Creek, Kentucky, could be those “fruitless” branches for me now.  We spent some wonderful years in Louisville.  Chris thrived in the academic environment and in his part-time ministry position, and I made some great friends, met some wonderful and influential people, and was able to serve our denomination and the greater Church through the work that I did.  I am amazed at all we were able to do and experience while we lived there.

But now that God has moved us on, I have to let go of those days.  They are the past, and while it is wonderful to remember God’s hand in our lives then, it is not the life that He has for us today.  Don’t misunderstand me – we believe that we are right where God has called us to be, and that makes ministry a joy.  But, we are in a different season – we live in Western Kentucky, we have a small child, Chris serves in a fulltime ministry position, and I stay at home.  Our days now are very different than they were when we lived in Louisville.

I am learning that if I hold the past too close to my heart, I will be unable to be fully present in the “now” – the place that God has for me today.  The past is a wonderful testimony to God working in our lives, and the future is unknown.  Doing what God has called me to do TODAY is most important.

I want to bear fruit that lasts.  Pruning hurts – we have to let go of a part of us so that we can produce the kind of fruit that God desires.  But just as my plants look so much better after I have pruned them, so will we, if we will just submit to the process.

 

A Busy Weekend

On Sunday, I took Henry and my parents to my great-nephew’s first birthday party.  Yes, I said GREAT-nephew, although there is no way that I am old enough to be a great-aunt!  My beautiful niece now has a beautiful little boy, and we were  so very thankful to be able to help celebrate his special day.

Traveling with a 14 1/2-month-old is an adventure – what to take, how much to take, etc. – but Henry does very well, and I certainly learn more each time we go on a long-ish trip.  We made the almost two-hour drive to my parents’ house, ate Burger King that we had picked up for lunch, and then drove the next hour to the party.  It was a perfect afternoon – nice weather, good cake, lots of family, and a cute and well-mannered birthday boy!

We watched them open presents, ate some cake and ice cream (Henry’s fav), he played with some balloons and took his Grandpa Joe on several tours up and down the hallway at the center where the party was held, and then we made our way back to Orlinda.  We stopped and got KFC for supper, rounding out a perfectly not-healthy day of eating.

I’m so glad that Henry has a cousin close to his age, even if they only get to see each other every few months.  I have one particular cousin who is a couple of months younger than I am, who I loved to see during the holidays and over the summer, and I hope that he is able to make similar memories with his cousin.

Even though the drive was long, I’m so glad that we got to go.  Making memories and celebrating milestones are what family gatherings are about!

 

Is It September Already?

I know that I said that I would start writing again in August … and here we are halfway through September!  We have had a lot of things going on – family stuff, church stuff, stuff-stuff.  I have thought about blogging many times, but I have not been sure what I wanted to say, or what direction I would take this blog next.  And, I’m still not certain.  But, I have been writing long enough now to know that not writing is only going to make those problems worse, so here I am again, pledging to get back in the habit of writing something each week.

We’ll see how that works out.

For today, I can say that the  house is clean, we are all fed and dressed, Henry is napping, and I have already marked five things off my to-do list for the day – and it’s not even time for lunch!  I am counting that a miracle and a blessing, because it may not happen again for several days.

So, how’s your day going?

 

A Birthday, July 4th, and a Little Break

The past couple of weeks have been busy with celebrations around here.  We celebrated Father’s Day, Chris’ birthday, and Henry’s birthday – all in the span of two weeks!  Needless to say, Henry’s was probably the biggest of the celebrations (sorry Chris!), and took a lot of work on everyone’s part.  But, we had a wonderful party with our family and a few close friends, got some great pictures and made some good memories.

We actually took the day off on the Fourth of July.  We didn’t go anywhere, do much in the way of celebrating, and certainly didn’t cook anything.  It was a good day of rest.

So, in the spirit of being busy and having time to rest, I’m going to need to take a little break from blogging until August.  I know – you’re probably thinking, “She only blogs once a week!”  Yes, that’s true.  But, our church’s Vacation Bible School, a couple of writing deadlines, and Chris’ mission trip to Cleveland with our college students, need to move to first place right now.  We are more than a little busy!

So, with that said … I’ll see you in August!

 

Technology and Books

The most recent issue of World Magazine was the 2011 Books Issue, a favorite look at new books, old books, and why we should be reading them.  One particular article by Mindy Belz caught my attention, titled “The Still Point of a Turning World.”  In this article, she makes the case for reading, and looks at some of the reasons that those of us who call ourselves “readers” and who make our living from words may not be reading as much or as thoughtfully as in the past.

The more time we spend on the web to get our jobs, our shopping, our bill-paying, our very lives done, the more incapable we become at concentrating.  We may grow better at multitasking, but we become less creative.  We can become instant experts, but that knowledge is momentary … Read to deepen your understanding, not simply improve your velocity of thought.  Read to resist temptation and avoid sin … There may be a place for jumping hyperlink to hyperlink, but there’s also a time for reading with intent and focus.  You don’t have to have a stack; only two books will do.