Good Morning,
This morning is a total change in the temperature outside. We went from extremely hot and humid, to cooler and nice ! No matter the weather, my hot cup of Door County Peanut Butter Crunch Coffee is very tasty this morning.
Contented, happy, at ease, willing to accept something, satisfied.
It is a blessing when you can look at your life no matter the circumstances and be content. Famous author Leo Tolstoy once passed a beggar on the street and as he passed by, the poor man asked Tolstoy if he had anything that he could give to him. Tolstoy reached into his pockets heavy with lint and nothing else. He replied to the man. "Brother I have nothing whatsoever to give to you". The man answered " You have already given to me much more that I asked for. You called me Brother". The man was still poor after Tolstoy left, but someone called this beggar brother. For a moment or longer this man felt blessed and acknowledged.
Philippians 4:11-13 Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. 12. I know how to be brought low and how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. 13. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.
I recall a time in my life when I had a hard time producing more than lint in my own pockets. Work was scarce, lines for potential jobs were long at companies that might have one job to offer. Yet somehow I seemed to find odd jobs that met my needs and nothing more. Going to McDonalds was only a dream. Many, many people were in the same boat in the start of the 1980's. I learned to be content with what I had. I also learned to appreciate work no matter what I was doing. I found peace during that time.
It was a true lifestyle change for me. A year before that, was just the opposite. There was plenty of work and overtime hours to be had. So much so, that I used to complain about working too much! I hadn't learned to be content and trust God in all circumstances. I hadn't learned to be grateful for what I had. But when it was gone and a dollar seemed like a lot of money, I soon appreciated any day that would produce some long hours. I counted my blessings each day as I applied for job after job. I was healthy, and fed. I had clothes on my back. I was at peace and had more time than ever to pray and study my Bible. It was my first experience in being content.
Times might be tough for some of you now. Maybe it is your health, loneliness, job situation, or other things. I probably wouldn't want to walk in your shoes. So to tell you to be content where you are and be satisfied is hard for me to do. But I will say this, in order to find contentment and peace, one must first take stock of all the blessings one has. If you can read this, you are not blind. If you are reading it from a phone or a computer, well, you have a phone or a computer. I know others who don't have those two luxuries. So think it through. When I sit and count my blessings, I have less time to complain and be content.
God bless you all.
Marty
No comments:
Post a Comment