Finding Contentment in the Every Day

 

Autumn has finally made it, and it's absolutely gorgeous here.  As the weather cools from its brutally hot summer temperatures, the desire to settle in at home and work on little things rises to the top.  

Contentment hasn't been a strong suit.  I've been pushing and seeking more.  More income by way of more hours or a second job.  More stocked supplies.  More items made to sell.  More.  I've pushed hard and it's gotten me nowhere but frustrated with myself and others, and still at the same point as where I started.  The bills look bigger than they are, longer than they should to pay off, more daunting than they really are.  They remind me of Goliath, and I'm standing at their toes like David, armed with a chewed up piece of gum rather than a rock.  How will we pay it all?  What will we do if an emergency rises?  What about taxes and car tags and maintenance?  What about.....?

A quote I found says it well:  “Contentment is not the fulfillment of what you want but the realization of how much you already have.” Anonymous

As a believer, I should be content in where ever I am.  Paul writes about this as he is aboard a ship sailing to meet his death, in prison, and in other places where he'd been tortured. 

 Philippians 4:11: Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.

 Philippians 4:19:  But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

Sometimes I get my eyes of Him, and I seek out more of what the world offers.  The Lord has been so good to me.  He's taken care of all my needs, many of my wants, and has provided for everything.  He even listens to the smallest of prayers, like "please keep the tires up tonight" at work.  How could I not be content in His goodness??  It's easy when my eyes start looking around at the things out there in the world and don't stay on Him.  

This is the season of the year I desire to be home more.  I want to stay in my kitchen baking and cooking, or in the sewing room stitching away on items.  I've got a homemade big block quilt that's almost finished.  It looks horrendous but will keep me warm, made of nothing but scraps and recycled fabrics from old clothes I found good parts that were reusable.  There's a vintage quilt entrusted to me to repair, once made by my late aunt whom I loved dearly.  There's hundreds of yards of fabric and several hundred patterns begging to come out and play, and several sewing machines to play on.  I find contentment there.  

Contentment is something that comes with time and maturity.  There's times I feel like a newborn babe in Christ, where I want to hurry up and learn the lesson and not go through the maturing and growing periods.  It's kinda like "give me patience, and give it to me now!"  But alas, it doesn't work that way.  At least it hasn't in my life, and I'm sure you can say the same thing.  

Today, I'm working to be content in my circumstances.  As I work around the kitchen baking scratch bread, cooking meats for meals, and cleaning up behind my work, I am trying to be content.  Cleaning is not something I find a happy task.  While I go about my work, I've got southern Gospel music on in the background to sing along with, making a not so joyful noise at times.  I've got laundry going, bed stripped, dishes done once and working on a second round post cooking, floors are swept, another round of bread is rising for a dessert bread for hubby and kids, and hopefully this evening I will get to sit down with needle and thread and continue work on my horrendous looking quilt.  If nothing works as planned, I shall try to remain content in any event.  If Paul can, I can.  

What is an area in where you find you're not content?  What is your strong hold that stops your contentment?