All my life I’ve gleaned nuggets from Scripture, devotionals, and various other sources that have woven “Homespun Faith” into the fabric of my soul. My desire in this Blog is to be able to share some of those nuggets with you–fresh manna that will help to nurture and feed your spirit and grow your faith.
Today I want to share a page from my “Dear Jesus” daily calendar (Sarah Young), along with some comments.
“Dear Jesus, I waste so much time and energy yearning for different circumstances. When it’s cold, I long for warmer weather. When it’s hot, I look forward to the crisp coolness of autumn. This is illustrative of how my mind works: rejecting the day’s circumstances and daydreaming about how I would like things to be. I realize this is arrogant and foolish, but my mind–left to itself–tends to work that way. I really want to accept each day just as it comes to me…”
I am So guilty of this! When our daughter, Angelyn, was small, one of her favorite sayings was, “If only I had (that book, that bike, that ?), I would be SO happy!” But regardless of whether or not that item was received, it wasn’t long until it was something else that would be necessary to make her “SO happy!” (Thankfully, I think she’s long since passed that stage! 🙂 ) While I’m not so apt to think that some item would make me “SO happy,” I do have a tendency to think if only God would solve “this problem” (whatever it may be–usually relational since nothing affects me more than a broken relationship), I would be SO happy! But soon there’s something else it will take to make me SO happy. If I’m temporarily too busy, I long for less to do, and if I’m bored, I long to be busier.
I’ll never forget my mother’s prayers when it became necessary for her to move to Goodwill Home near the end of her life. Almost every time we prayed together, she would say, “Oh Lord, help me to be content whatsoever state I’m in.” She didn’t want to grumble and complain, losing her joy and making those around her unhappy as well. Of course, Mother was praying Scripture, as she often did, quoting the Apostle Paul in Philippians 4:11b, “for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content” (RSV). (NIV “for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.”) Wow! I want that!
However, I’m encouraged that even the Apostle Paul said this was something he learned–it did not come naturally. If he could learn to be content even in prison cells with conditions worse than we can imagine, perhaps there is hope for those of us who live in conditions much better than that to LEARN to be content.
“Holy Spirit, work in our hearts an attitude of gratitude regardless of the circumstances. Let us take seriously Paul’s words, “If anything is excellent and praiseworthy–think about such things” (Philippians 4:8b).
