Sometimes I don't have a lot to offer in the way of updates. However, I know from what my parents tell me that there are those of you out there that enjoy reading the blog. I typically only like to write when it is inspired by God or if He has laid something on my heart to share with you that correlates to my family's experience.
That being said, I have felt that I need to continue this blog and try to update each week with something that God has laid on my heart whether that applies to my parent's healing or not. I think in general it applies to overall healing and when our spiritual life is being healed and restored the result is a wellspring of healing in other areas.
I have been thinking a lot about contentment. Being content in all situations. In my bible study we discussed the life of Paul and how he consciously made an effort to be content despite his circumstances. Contentment isn't a feeling or emotion as much as we would actually want it to be, rather it is a choice. It is a discernible effort you and I make to refresh out attitude and minds to choose to be content in our circumstances.
Easier said than done...
Without going into much detail, I would say that for the past 9 or 10 months since my parent's accident I have struggled with this concept. I have been held at bay because I allowed my circumstances to overwhelm me and choke the joy and contentment from my daily life. Despite staying in the Word, praying and surrounding myself with Christian advice, I have still been uncomfortable in my own skin. I would pray, cry, lament, complain, whine until ultimately I was having a full on pity party every day. For those of you that have experienced this-thanks for still being my friend!
It wasn't until a few weeks ago that I finally decided that Satan would no longer have a foothold on my contentment. I would instead "cast my cares and anxiety" on God and choose to be content. (Mind you we studied contentment several weeks, perhaps even months ago, in bible study and I am just now coming to terms with what I heard.)
Is this easy? No! Is this fun? No! Am I happy? Sometimes! But how self centered of me to think that this life is about ME! My happiness, my excitement, my glory. No, rather this thing we have...life. This life is about glorifying God no matter what he has laid before us. When we choose contentment we are saying to others and to the evilness of this world, the master of deception, Satan-back off! I have the power of the Holy Spirit, the same power of resurrection, coursing through my veins and I will not be held captive any longer to the desires of temporary things.
I can't say that because I have decided to take baby steps to begin to be content that my life has dramatically changed. My circumstances are still the same as before. The same things that caused me to complain and whine are still there. I can however, say that my heart, thoughts and hopefully speech has become less negative and more positive. I am learning each day to choose to be content.
Paul tends to say these things a bit more poetic and he was also sitting in a jail cell-hungry, tired, beaten and bruised and constantly praising and preaching the gospel. I am sitting at a desk, drinking coffee, finishing breakfast and looking out a window. I doubt I have room to complain!
Philippians 3:7-14 (New International Version)
7But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. 10I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. 12Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.Philippians 4:11-13 (New International Version)
11I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. 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. 13I can do everything through him who gives me strength.So the best tangible, concrete example of contentment I can give you would be...cupcakes! A tiny personal cake just for you. In my group of friends we love giving everyone cupcakes for their birthday or special events. We have been known to to go to a bakery or deli just for the cupcakes. There are a few places around town if you are local to Birmingham that I suggest you visit-Urban Standard, Pastry Arts bakery and Dreamcakes. The other night a few of us had had a bad week-insect bites, cars being broken into and job frustrations. We decided that cupcakes would solve our problems! I ordered wedding cake as my flavor and I definitely think that as I unpeeled the wrapper from that magical little cake my whole outlook changed in an instant. Yes, the tangible form of contentment would in fact be, a cupcake sprinkled with edible diamond fairy dust that personifies what I think heaven may in fact taste like!
I don't have an actual photo of the cupcake but this is as close as I could come up with to give you an idea.
