As Washingtonians, we are a fickle lot, always wanting what we have not. If the spring rains soak us, dampening our spirits, we long for the warmth of summer. If the summer sun turns smoldering, we long for the cool crispness of the fall. When fall storms arrive, both in and around us, we long for the relaxing rest of winter. When the snows blanket the earth and our plans, we long for cleared roads and the freshness of spring. We are always in want of something…mostly change from our current circumstances.

Through his Word, God has been teaching me what it means to be content in the midst of my circumstances, and how to weather the storms of discontentedness and change in my daily life.

What He Said- Psalm 46:10 Be still, and know that I am God.

What I Learned- He is God and I am not! He speaks to me when I cease my striving/doing and am still enough to hear his voice.

What He Said- Ecclesiastes 3:1 There is an appointed time (a season) for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven.

What I Learned- Everything God does has a purpose, a season, and is perfect in timing, even if do not understand it.

What He Said-Phillipians 4:12,13 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

What I Learned-God alone is the one who provides and gives strength to endure when things don’t go the way I think they should. He gives me courage to trust him, despite my circumstances and what I see going on around me. When I trust him, he is able to put my worries, anxiousness, and fears into proper perspective.

What He Said-Psalm 118:24 This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.

What I Learned-Because I love him and want to please him, I choose to have an attitude of gratitude in advance for the day he has given me.

God has shown me that he orchestrates the length of my days and the color of the daily canvas of my life, whether it is colorful, gray, blustery or blue. He knows just how long each season I experience should last. Each day is an opportunity to trust Him to prepare my canvas for the day. Because this is the day that the Lord has made, I will practice joy in advance and rejoice and be glad in it. That is what contentment is to me.