The Secret of Being Content

"I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want." - Written by Paul in Philippians 4:12

I've read these words many times but one day one word in particular caught my attention. It was the word "secret". My thought was this: 'if there is a secret to being content, why didn't Paul share it with us?' Did he not think this was something valuable to know? Think of all the discontented people out there that could have taken that secret knowledge and made themselves content. I would venture to guess crime rates, suicide rates, road rage incidents, etc. would go down. I would also guess that people would smile more, yell less, and love better. The 'secret of being content' seems invaluable and yet it's buried deep in Paul's mind. Or is it? Maybe we were meant to search for the secret.

I started looking at Paul's life to see if I could figure out what it was that made him content. He clearly didn't travel the path of least resistance. After his conversion experience on the road to Damascus, he could have simply accepted Christ, retired from persecuting Christians, and lived out the rest of his life as a good person. But that would not do for this man. That would not have satisfied him. He would not have been, shall we say, content. Paul went full steam ahead sharing the message of Christ. He endured many trials and hardships along the way (he was imprisoned, shipwrecked, and snake bitten to name a few). We could try to argue that no one could possibly be content in those situations and yet Paul said those words. And I believe him. What was your secret, Paul?

Did it have to do with the choices he made? Life is full of forks in the road - choices that have to me made. Choice A might be less desirable and a little painful. Choice B sounds better. But in your spirit you know choosing Choice A will please God more. That's the choice Paul would have made (over and over). And the reason why, I believe, is because he recognized that pleasing God would bring him greater satisfaction than pleasing himself. Think about when you were a child and you did something that pleased your mom or dad. Or when as an employee you caught the thankful eye of your boss for something you did which wasn't altogether easy. The reward in your hard work was the feeling of pleasure your received in pleasing those who matter to you. And, frankly, who matters more than God? How much greater is that reward - that feeling of pleasing our heavenly Father - the Creator of life itself? Does that feeling make the difficulties we endure on His behalf worth it?

Two synonyms for content (and I think theses are profound) are fulfilled and gratified. I believe those words say a lot about how Paul lived his life. The conclusion I come to in figuring out Paul's secret is that being content means finding your focus in God. It's living your life with an undeniable focus on pleasing God. When that becomes our life's ultimate goal we may just discover it is, indeed, the secret to being content. Referring back to our choices above: Choice B may not necessarily be a wrong or sinful choice - just a different path to choose. Choosing B could very well be good and safe. The difference, however, between the choices we make could mean the difference between feeling "pleased" and feeling "fulfilled". The benefit of one far outweighs the other.

Ten on Ten (March)

It is that time again. I can hardly believe it's been a month already. Well - here is my list of ten things I'm thankful for:

1 - "Tiny Blessings" (see previous blog article): There is a danger when our lives get clouded by busyness and/or emotions. It's easy to miss the little ways in which God is working around us. And when we stop looking or stop seeing the tiny blessings we can tend to feel abandoned. I'm thankful that I am looking again and have the pleasure and joy of seeing God's hand in my life (in the simplest of things).

2 - Lessons from God: Learning lessons from God can often be very difficult - not because of stubbornness to learn but because of the pain of self-reflection. I'm thankful that God helps me become, not only, the person I want to become, but also, the daughter He knows I can be. He loves me enough not to leave me where I am. If I am willing He will help me grow.

3 - Music - Christian music in particular: It can heal, inspire, remind me of God's wonderful and amazing existence, or simply allow me to offer my praise. I only wish I could sing.

4 - Chocolate, Pepsi, popcorn, Chick-fil-a and the like: The little pleasures of life should not be overlooked or taken for granted. These are simple, simple things and yet they make me smile. And all those little smiles add up to a great big warm fuzzy. My joy in these little things has an added benefit: my husband is thankful that I'm not high-maintenance. (Enstrom's Almond Toffee, by the way --- um! um! ---little bit of heaven.)

5 - TV: I know what you're thinking (or are you?). In reality it's not the TV that I'm thankful for - it's the simple "dates" my husband and I have while watching some of our favorite shows together.

6 - Friends: Sadly - most of my long-time friends live in other states. I don't get to see them much or at all. But - I am thankful that time and space hasn't taken away the value we have in each other.

7 -How do I put this? I'm thankful that I don't live in the same crazy world as the people on some "reality" shows. When I see clips of some of these people on the news or other programs I try to reassure myself that these idiotic, immoral, self-aggrandizing people don't actually exist - that it's all an act. But then I think - maybe I live in a bubble and these people do exist. And if that's the case - I'm glad I don't live where they live.


8 - Things that make me laugh: It could be just about anything. Laughter is good for the soul. And it's contagious. When my daughter finds something fall-down funny - it makes us all laugh. Try watching America's Funniest Home Video's with a child. You will have more fun watching them than the show.


9 - Answered prayers: I continue in my journey to be faithful in prayer for others. I have found it a true pleasure to see God working in their lives.

10 - The gym: - although I don't get there as often as I'd like (or should) I am thankful that I have the opportunity to work out and take care of my body. When I do get to go - my body and my mind feel refreshed.

Too Tired To Worry

Matthew 6:25, 34 and 27

Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes.

Do not worry about tomorrow for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?

I admit it. I'm a worry wort. Let's just say my "normal" is probably somebody else's "high stress level". There never seems to be a shortage of things for me to worry about. Granted a lot of the things I worry about are small ticket items where my worry lasts for a short amount of time. But in the last several years I've been faced with lots of big ticket worry items. My worry meter has been off the charts. Frankly, I'm exhausted! I'm so completely tired of feeling stressed. I long for peace which seems like it should be a simple thing. And yet, by my own doing, it is hard to find.

The idea is to be strong in times of trial but the irony is that it's hard to find strength when you're weak. But maybe we wouldn't be so weak in times of trial if we didn't worry. Have you ever thought about the amount of strength it takes to worry? Worry is not an idle feeling. It's a consuming parasite. It consumes countless amounts of energy as well as hope. It eats away at, not only, our physical body, but our soul as well.

Not too long ago something happened that set me into a panic state. I could feel my insides shrinking with tension. I managed to get my daughter off to school even though my mind was elsewhere. But something happened as I was returning from dropping her off. I began to pray. That wasn't unusual. My custom is to pray when things get in panic mode. But this time - I hit my worry wall. My limit had been reached. It was like everything in me said "Enough!". I was exhausted - spiritually, physically and emotionally. I had no more strength. I said to God: "I can't do this anymore. I can't worry about this. I'm tired." As if God was somehow my worry coach saying, "Come on girl. You can do it. Keep on worrying." Of course that's a crazy image because God doesn't want us to worry. It's contradictory to His plan. Instead of Him encouraging me to worry more I can imagine Him sighing in relief and saying the following: "There you go, my child. Now you're getting it. I've never asked you to take on this burden. I have always been here to take on the burden for you. You can't carry this alone and I don't want you to. That's what trust is about. Trust in me and be at peace."

Why is it that we find it so hard to let go and to be at peace. Why do we worry? I think, for me, it's because I confuse responsibility with control. I want to be a responsible Godly person but at some point, I fear, my efforts to be responsible blur into control. And once I start controlling things, the harder it is to leave them in God's hands.

I may have hit my worry wall but knowing me there will likely be a time when I'll be tempted to rev up my worry motor once again. But hopefully, before that happens again I'll figure out whether I'm trying to be responsible or trying to be in control.

For now - I'm content with letting God take the wheel. He knows my life better than I do. He knows every situation I face. He knows where He wants me to go. He knows how He wants me to live. And most importantly, He loves me as His child whom He can't bear to see in pain. I will gladly let Him lead. Besides - I need the rest.

There Is God

Where there is wind
there is God.
He soars with us.

Where there is nature
there is God.
He gives us beauty.

Where there is pain
there is God.
He gives us healing.

Where there is sorrow
there is God.
He gives us comfort.

Where there is family
there is God.
He gives us love.

Where there is loneliness
there is God.
He gives us companionship.

Where there is despair
there is God.
He gives us hope.

Where there is adventure
there is God.
He gives us joy.

Where there is uneasiness
there is God.
He gives us peace.

Where there is Jesus
there is God.
He gave us Himself.

Where there is sin
there is God.
He gives us forgiveness.

Where there is death
there is God.
He gives us life.

Where there is praise
there is God glorified.

Ten on Ten

I was excited this morning when I realized it was the 10th. I've been waiting for this day for awhile now. I've taken inspiration from my friend Andrea who does a project every month called "10 on 10". She takes ten pictures throughout the day that give a snapshot view of her life. She has a great eye for seeing the special in the otherwise average day. If I had that kind of talent I would tackle that project too. However, I don't quite have the eye for it. Instead I've decided to take a spin on the "10 on 10". On a monthly basis I'd like to make note of 10 things I'm thankful for or blessed with in my life. Granted I should probably do this more than once a month but a girl's gotta start somewhere. So here's my list for today:

1 - I am thankful for my husband. I find it extremely ironic that we are completely opposite and yet in many ways very similar. We have been on a journey together - some of it pleasant and some not so much. When I'm down or worried about something, he helps pull be back up. I like to think I do the same for him. We are each other's defender. He's got my back and I've got his. Together we make a better team than we would apart.

2 - I am thankful for my daughter. She's my China angel. Life is more joyful with her in it. She is a true pleasure to be around. She is an incredibly special girl who is sweet and lovable. Admittedly she has her grumpy moments. But, for the most part, she's a princess. I know I sound biased but I speak the truth! She is without a doubt one of the best blessings I've ever received in my life.

3 - I am thankful for family. I am blessed with family that is supportive and has bent over backwards for us. Sometimes we are fortunate to agree on things. Sometimes we disagree and drive each other crazy. But through it all - we're still family.

4 - I am thankful for quiet time. Although I don't seem to get quite enough of this - I am very thankful when I do. Those moments help me retain (or maybe regain) some sanity in a crazy world. It's almost a necessity for me. Whether I'm able to spend time with God or just organize my thoughts I become a calmer, more patient person at the end of some quality alone time.

5 - I am thankful for hot water. Yes, you read correctly. It may sound simple but my belief is that we take so much for granted. I notice it most when I first step into the shower and the water hits my head. I love that feeling of being surrounded by the warmth. Sometimes I think how much I'd miss such a small pleasure if I didn't have it. I realize I'm blessed when I think how most of the world's population doesn't get to have that same luxury.

6 - I am thankful for good health. It may be a "standard" blessing but I truly am thankful that my family is healthy.

7 - I am thankful for God's provisions. I have a roof over my head. I have a heated house to live in. I have hot water (just had to throw that one in again.) I have plenty of food to eat. (Although I never seem to have enough chocolate.) I have clothes on my back and I have a car to drive. I admit I look at the things around me and wish they were better or different. I still long for my dream home or for a new car or to be able to go wild crazy shopping for new clothes. But the truth is - I am blessed with all I have. And I have more than most in the world.

8 - I am thankful for this blog. It helps me to be disciplined to look for God on a daily basis.

9 - I am thankful for hope (particularly hope for a new tomorrow). On some days it alludes me but maybe that's what makes it all the more special when I do feel it stirring within me.

10 -Most importantly - I am thankful for God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Without them I am lost. I'm so grateful to be found!