Contentment

How many times do we struggle with contentment?  

I know that I do indeed strive at times in being grateful
and thanking God for all the blessings that he has given to my family and me.   If I am being honest with myself
at these moments, I am focused on what I do not have and not on what I have been blessed with.  During those times that I am self-absorbed, I have a

tendency to look at life through filtered lenses.  I see all the inadequacies there are in life and ask myself,
why am I being shorted again?  Why
don’t I receive what others have?  
Then, God opened my eyes recently.

I received a pray request for a little boy that was very ill.  I could see by the request that his parents were hurting
very much.  As time had passed the
little boy’s health had continued to deteriorate and it looked all to clear
that God was going to take him home to be with him.  The parents were grieving deeply over the unfolding events
and I am sure they felt helpless to change anything.  The doctors told the parents that they could do nothing else
for their son.  In a short while the
little boy went home to be with Jesus, leaving his mother’s arms only to be
gathered into Jesus’ gentle hands. 

As I read these lines the parents had written, I was torn
in my heart for the grief they were going through.   
I began to weep, and at that very moment, I felt the touch
of my son by my side.  He reached
over and got up into my lap to comfort me.  I was suddenly reminded of how frail life was.  I looked at my son and remembered how
we almost lost him at birth.  He
was in an incubator for several days. 
He struggled for every breath that he took and as he did, I would tell
him how his mommy and I loved him so very much.  During those moments he would reach out and hold on to my
small finger and look into my eyes as if to tell me how much he loved us.  I stayed by his side falling asleep at
times and when waking up, I would find he was still holding on to my little
finger and staring intently into my eyes.   After many hours of prayers and tense moments, the
time came, and after what seemed to be an eternity, his breathing began to
relax.  The doctors examined him
and told us that his other lung had attached to his body and he was going to
pull through.   I broke down
and wept.  My mind raced back to a
few short months before when we lost our first child mid way through Anne’s
pregnancy.  God had now given us a
precious gift, a son to raise and love. 
We have continued to commit him to God each day when lifting him up in
prayer.  Will is now 7 and is growing
up so fast.  He has a gentle heart
and is very kind to his little 4-year-old sister Abby.  

 The other day we were out celebrating Mother’s day at a busy

restaurant, I noticed that it had several TVs going and many
families visiting with one another. 
In the midst of all these activities I looked to my left and noticed
Will had his eyes closed.  I then
asked him if he was ok.  He looked
up to me and said that he was praying to Jesus about something that was
concerning him. I was once
again reminded how mysterious God’s ways are to me.  I was humbled by this little boy’s innocence and how Will
worked out his questions, not by getting frustrated and complaining, he sought
life by first seeking the author of life. 

God was teaching me, through my son, that contentment is
found by treasuring what we have been given and understanding that “all” we
have are gifts given to us by the Lord of life. Take care, Augie