Contentment

Don’t be cheated like Eve by believing the lie that life can get better…if only…

• if only we didn’t have so much debt
• if only my husband did more to help out
• if only my wife respected my decisions
• if only my children didn’t drive me crazy
• if only we didn’t live in a “money pit”
• if only I could go back to college, get that degree; sell that book I’ve been writing, etc.
• if only I could afford a tutor to help me homeschool my children
• if only I could afford an hour away from it all at Starbucks :O)

We all have our “if only’s”. What’s yours? Have you, a Christian, realized yet, that the here and now that you’re in, is God’s plan for you? That this is how it’s supposed to be?

When my husband and I were first married, I learned the beautiful rewards of contentment. And there are many.

When “house-hunting” as pre-married’s, we were unable to find any homes w/land for sale (we didn’t want to rent) so we bought a trailer house and stuck it on dh’s parents’ property. We thought of it as an investment that we could resell as soon as we found the “place of our dreams”.

Not having that “dream place” soon became mighty inconvenient. We put off having children for four years thinking we wanted to wait till we were “on our own place”.

Along the way, during those four years, I struggled with contentment in all areas. I felt embarrassed that we were grown adults “mooching” off of dh’s parents generosity in letting us live on their land rent-free. I felt there was a stigma associated with living in a trailer. I was constantly annoyed with dh for not giving me a better yard to work with. I spent hours pulling weeds from the former weedpatch where we’d stashed our first home. Normal lawn mowers didn’t cut this stuff! I wasted so much time and energy wishing for the opportunity to…move on.

My mom reminded me of that verse in 1 Timothy 6:6, “Godliness with contentment is great gain.” It became my mantra in those moments of angst. It became easier to slough off the annoyances, the inferiority complex. I became thankful for the little things. I think I’m pretty easy to get along with these days! :O) 

In our fourth year, four months into my first pregnancy~smile~we found our ‘dream home’. Great timing, huh. It’s become our ‘money pit’ with its own share of eyesores, but still we love it. And we fondly remember our first home, that humble little trailer house. It was, in fact, much cozier than our current home. I actually miss it…at times!

To cinch it up, here’s our latest favorite by Jack Johnson. It’s on his Curious George soundtrack.

Supposed to Be by Jack Johnson

Maybe it’s up with the stars
Maybe it’s under the sea
Maybe it’s not very far
Maybe this is how it’s supposed to be

This is how it’s supposed to be
Maybe it’s trapped in a jar
Something we’ve already seen
Maybe it’s nowhere at all
Maybe this is how it’s supposed to be
This is how it’s supposed to be

Looking forward as we rewind
Looking back is a trap sometimes
Being here is so easy to do
If you want to

Being here is so easy to do..if you want to…

Do you want to be content? Contentment can make your life and relationships rich beyond your dreams.

Dreaming is great, but it’s just a flirt away from discontentment.