"I don't understand why Maverick does that," my 11yo daughter exclaimed as we watched our dog jump our fence and run into the neighbor's yard. "He's got the best yard of any yard around here, yet he always goes to the other yards. Why can't he just be happy where he is?"
A spiritual lesson if I've ever heard one.
That day in the kitchen, on the heels of her question, so many images came to my mind:
The person who has it all yet strays into another relationship.
The person who has a beautiful home yet longs for another one.
The person who has enough yet goes into debt to get more.
The person who has accomplished so much but still wants more.
The person who has the ability to walk and good health, but is still dissatisfied with their body.
Me.
You.
We have the most beautiful yard but we fight this urge to jump into the other ones. Maybe we don't leap over the fence. We might just stand safely behind it and just stare longingly, telling ourselves that's ok. We want and we want and we want. And we forget to notice where we are. The beautiful children. The husband or wife we chose. The job that pays. The roof over our heads. So much beauty around us and we look right past it.
This is a season of want. A season of shopping trips and wish lists. A season of looking into other yards. And in the midst of that season I think it's important to remember-- as hard as it may be in your situation-- that we are where we are for a purpose, by God's design (the One who makes me who I am-- see below). God put you in your yard, beautiful as it is. The best yard around for you. The trick is to stay inside our fence and look towards making our little corner of the world as beautiful and blessed as possible for as long as we're there. To follow Paul's words below...
"I've learned by now to be quite content whatever my circumstances. I'm just as happy with little as with much, with much as with little. I've found the recipe for being happy whether full or hungry, hands full or hands empty. Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am." Phillipians 4: 11-13 (MSG)
4 comments:
Thank you Marybeth! I needed to hear this today! : )
Thank you for writing about this, Marybeth- presently I am learning the value of being patient while waiting. It's tough, but I know that through Him I can do it :-)
Socialworkconfessions.com
I read this earlier this morning and have carried it with me all day. Thank you for this thought.
Thank you for this lovely message. I can tell you there was, certainly, a lot of self-reflection on my part as I read this. I plan to use your message for my devotional lesson today with my children. Needless to say, good old mom learned a lot about herself already. Thanks for this and blessings to you.
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