Contentment

Ok this is going to be a really honest post. Well, all my posts are honest, but you know what I mean. I struggle with contentment. I think most people do to an extent, living in the US and all, but I just really wish I didn't struggle with it so much! God has given us the most beautiful daughter, and now I am on to the next thing we don't have: a house. Its embarrassing to admit, but its true.

We are renting a house, and it suits our needs alright, but most of my friends have either bought or built a house recently, and I'll admit that I have at times been jealous. We dont own a house for several reasons. 1) we had a choice last year: either adopt or buy a house. (I think that was a no-brainer!) 2) Now that we have adopted and started a family, we have to really think about buying a house because we don't want to commit long-term to Charleston if we know we eventually want to move a little closer to home. So for now we continue renting. Our house is not bad, its way better then living in an apartment, but it has some structural flaws that make us nervous about being here long-term. It works just fine with one child, but eventually when we expand our family, we will need something bigger. We have been having issues with mold, and so the stuff in the storage area (where we think the mold is) somewhat had to be moved into the house. We have really tiny closests and I have found myself getting really frustrated. We don't have a ton of stuff, just the normal Christmas decorations, winter clothes, etc in the storage area. Our "master" closet is actually in our little bathroom, which makes it hard to get ready in the morning.

Recently God gave me a reality check. You've heard "God speaks in mysterious ways" but sometimes He really does! and this time, it was through a TV show. Dan and I enjoy watching HGTV, especially the property shows. We were watching House Hunters the other night. The couple on the show came from the projects, got married, had 3 kids and started a business. Well, this business became really successful, and they became millionaires. On the show, they were looking for houses in the $1.5 million range in Orange County, CA.  These houses breathtakingly beautiful. But every single house the couple had an issue with. "The master is too big" or "the master is too small" or "it needs alot of work" and by work, they meant that they didnt like a particular feature such as the color of granite etc. Watching this show, I was sickened by how these people were acting, especially with where they came from. It made me really wonder' "Will it ever be enough?" When will we stop wanting more and more?

Then I thought about the countries I have been to on missions trips, and articles I have read in magazines like Voice of the Martyrs. Entire families living in one-room shacks with dirt for carpet and plywood or sticks for walls. I was so ashamed of my discontentment.

Haiti

India

The US

A House destroyed by Katrina

I am so thankful that God gives us his word to remind us of such simpful truths!

Matthew 6:19 -21 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. ²⁰ But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. ²¹ For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

 I was talking to someone at work about Beyonce, and although I admire her music, I was shaking my head at her lifestyle. She recently wore a pair of $100,000 jeans. Seriously? So many people across the world can be blessed with that much money. This co-worker told me, "my mom always said, you never see a U-Haul behind a hearse!!" Funny, but also very true. 

Every good and perfect gift is from above. God has given us everything we have, and he can just as easily take it away. You, know we may not live in an amazing house, but it is a house. We have running water and can take hot showers 3x a day if we want to! We can put food on the table every day, and we aren't worrying about where our next paycheck will come from. We are able to provide for our daughter, and buy her the diapers and formula she needs. We can even provide for our dogs.  Our pastor Greg Suratt at Seacoast mentioned tithing today, and how when his children were younger he taught them the simple biblical truth about tithing. I admit Dan and I sometimes forget to tithe, but we know it is SO important, because everything we have is from the Lord, and its all we can do to give back a mere 10%.

So what God has also been trying to tell me is "Stop worrying! Don't you know I will provide for you if you trust me?" One of my favorite verses and and amazing reminder, also from Matthew 6.

²⁸ “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. ²⁹ Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. ³⁰ If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? ³¹ So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ³² For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. ³³ But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. ³⁴ Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Thanks for reading my lengthy post!!