Truly Content

I'm back!! Yeah, I know. I have been really terrible about this whole blogging thing. From now on, I will be posting every Tuesday (or at least making a valiant attempt to).  So enjoy the new post and come back every week for more. Thanks for reading!

"Last night, I dreamt I was a mother. I held my precious little son in my arms and felt inexpressible joy as he called me 'mama' for the very first time. Waiting just became that much harder."

I wrote those words in my journal earlier this year. Needless to say, that was a tough week to get through. Sometimes, being single just seems so unfair. The difficulties never go away, but rather increase. Almost every one of my friends is engaged or married and now many of them are having children. I want so badly to join them in their happiness, but somehow, singleness makes me an outsider.

Will it ever be me?

It often seems as though I have nothing in common with anyone anymore and the only way out of my world of unhappiness is marriage- a blessing I do not see coming in the near future. Discontentment is very difficult to fight these days. It is my constant enemy.....well, it is supposed to be my enemy. Honestly, it is easier to just be friends, companions walking through life together. Problem is, discontentment is a lousy friend. It causes me to lose my joy, to forget my ministry, and to make those around me unhappy. Fighting it is challenging, but the consequences of surrender are detrimental.

How does one achieve victory over discontentment?

 I do not know if a person can ever have total triumph over it here in this world. The little fiend never gives up easily and it puts up a good fight. Sometimes, I think I have defeated it, but then it always comes back. There is an almost daily battle and I must constantly be on my guard against attack. But I do know how to win. First, let me give you a couple of definitions...

Discontentment: A longing for something better than the present situation.

Contentment: Happiness with one's situation in life.

When we are discontent, we desire something "better", and we think that once we obtain it, we shall be content. But it does not work that way. Discontentedness can only give birth to more of the same. In other words, you will always want something "better" than what you have. It will never be enough. It is true that you reap what you sow, and if seeds of discontent are being sown in your heart, that is what you will get at harvest time- and more of it too, because that little seed grows into something bigger and uglier. Many times, we fail to see that while we are waiting for what we think is best, God has already put us in the best place. And our disdain for the situation we are in has caused us to miss the Lord's blessings. I am as guilty as anyone. But how can we be happy with where we are? How can we be truly content?

Trust.

Just trust Him and know that His ways are higher than your own (Isaiah 55:9). He has you in a good place right now and the best thing for you to do is serve Him with your whole heart and leave no room for anything else to come in and poison you. Reach out to others, take no thought for yourself, give much, love strong, and live for a bigger purpose than your own agenda. See the good in your situation and use every opportunity you have been given to glorify God. I think you will soon find that your longings have left you and the Lord has given you not only happiness with where you are, but a lasting joy as well.

You and I are in this together.