Contentment....Yikes!

Last week I took a wonderful trip to visit my family in Washington, and it was truly a blessed time! I stayed with my sister's family, and my mom and dad came to visit as well. The great fun and precious fellowship with my mom and sister could hardly be beat!

But let me tell you...coming home was a hard thing to do. Don't worry, I was VERY excited to see my husband, but once I was home I wanted to take him right back there with me. I struggle on and off with being away from family, but I didn't expect to struggle so horribly with contentment these past few days.

Praise the Lord for a precious, understanding husband who practically WAS ready to pick up and move because he loves me so much. LOL. Ok...maybe not THAT crazy, but he is SO understanding! We have prayed a lot together and his love for me through a rough couple of days has been SO encouraging.

These past few days, I have read the book of Philippians and a number of scriptures to pound into my little brain and heart that our God is SO sovereign and we are to be so incredibly thankful in ALL circumstances. This is what brings me to "Ella's Prescription for Contentment". I don't know who Ella is, but it's a piece of paper I was given at a women's retreat a few years ago with five points to preach to yourself when you are struggling with what the Lord has given you. I refer back to it often. And really this is God's prescription for contentment given to us in the Word.

• Never allow yourself to complain about anything---not even the weather! Phil. 2:14-15 "Do all things without grumbling or disputing; so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation."
• Never picture yourself in any other circumstance or someplace else (Uh-Oh!). 1 Thes. 5:18 "Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."
• Never compair your lot with another's. Psalm 16:5 "The Lord is the portion of my inheritance and my cup; You(the Lord) support my lot." HE has ASSIGNED me my portion and my cup.
• Never allow youself to wish this or that had been otherwise. Psalm 16:8 "I have set the Lord continually before me; because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken."
• Never dwell on tomorrow- remember that it(tomorrow) is God's, not ours. Matthew 6:34 "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." (see the whole passage 6:25-34)

So...as you can see, I have no excuse! I don't believe it's wrong to have desires to be close to family, and maybe someday the Lord will honor those desires, bit it IS wrong to let them become a means for discontentment. I need to be thankful for what the Lord has willed for my life! And he has given me SO many blessings! His plan is perfect for each day, and although I think certain things would be wonderful, the Lord obviously has better things in mind for the time being!