Contentment continued...

Well, God is not done with this lesson yet. I was talking to him about it and wondering how I can stay content while still expecting him to move me to the next place in my life and he gave me an answer.

Thanksgiving - that is the secret to contentment.

If I can learn to thank him for where I am, to find the good there is and the joys he has for me in the place I'm at, I can be content. The recipe, so to speak can be found in the following verse:

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus

Philippians 4:6-7

So if I can be thankful where I am for all the good there is, and then make my petitions known to God, that thankfulness will cause the anxiety and restlessness to depart and pave the way for God's peace to come guard my heart and mind. The result? Contentment.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 says:

Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

Basically, you are not where you are by mistake and God knows exactly where you are so he will meet your needs at the right time. Therefore if nothing else, thank him that he is never late, and that indeed he knows what's best, and just commit your desires to him.

At times like this, beware of the devil's lies, that you are not important to God. That he has forgotten you. That his promises to you are false. Nothing could be further from the truth:

Deuteronomy 31:8
The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged."

Isaiah 49:15
"Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you!

Zechariah 2:8
For this is what the LORD Almighty says: ...whoever touches you touches the apple of his eye-

Numbers 23:19
God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?

Psalm 145:13
Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures through all generations. The LORD is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made.

Meditate of these words and let them sink deep into your heart. In everything give thanks to the Lord and remember to thank him for remembering you and leading you in the way everlasting.

Enter rest in Jesus Name! Be still and know that he is God!

Shocked

I was shocked half to death this morning when I read that prophetess Juanita Bynum-weeks was abused by her husband. She was physically abused outside a hotel and brutally beaten and threatened by her husband. This must be so hard on her. So traumatic. Only God knows why or can help. My prayers are with her. She is one of the great people in my life, her teachings and books have made a difference in my life. I am grieved that her husband could do this, but it goes to show that preachers are also men like any other.

Contentment

Beholding as in a mirror for me means that I look into God's word and I see my self. A true reflection of who I am and what I have become - the good, the bad, and the ugly. Sometimes it is painful, but always it leads to becoming a better me.

I recently came to the conclusion that I am far from content with my life, and not in a good way. I want everything now! In the process I am killing myself with stress and anxiety that should not be my portion. Why can't I just settle down and let God lead me in the way everlasting? I am always running somewhere, trying to get this and that, impatient, unable to rest and my body is taking a beating. High Blood Pressure is threatening me, hormonal imbalance is causing fibroids to grow and the other day I got to the office and started getting breathless, anxious and teary two days in a row. I know that I am running myself down but for whatever reason taking a break to rest is not a viable option. I am just so grateful that my surgery will give me a legitimate reason to rest! That is so messed up.

Well, the Lord told me that I am not content at all and I have to learn how to be. Because with contentment I am okay with God's sovereign choices for me and I am able to relax and go with his flow and his timing. I don't need to be equal with the joneses. My path and plan are different and unique only to me.

This verses say it well:

Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said,
"Never will I leave you;
never will I forsake you."
Hebrews 13:5

And this one really hit home for me as I want to be truly godly:

But godliness with contentment is great gain.
1 Timothy 6:6

I need to be content with my job and wait for God's timing in starting a business, and with my status as a single woman - my times are in his hands.

Contentment will allow me to pray about the desires of my heart while still abandoning myself to God. It will enable me to relax, smell the roses, take a walk, watch the sunset, as I move into the times of God. Contentment will allow me to make the most of Chronos time while I wait on God's Kairos time.

May God give me the grace to wait on him, and give me the wisdom to learn contentment as I take this journey called life.

Post Cards

I am a sucker for postcards and always get them whenever I travel. I recently saw these in a local hotel here in Nairobi and fell in love with them. They have been created by Mount Kenya Sundries Limited.

Myomectomy

I am due for my myomectomy on October 5th. Crazy as it may seem I am so ready for it. I was diagnosed in February of this year and have just been too chicken to do it. Fibroids are benign tumors of the uterus that cause the following symptoms:
Abnormal menstrual bleeding. Up to 30% of women with fibroids have menstrual period changes, such as:
Heavier, prolonged periods that can cause anemia.
Painful periods.
Spotting before or after periods.
Bleeding between periods.
Pelvic pain and pressure, such as:
Pain in the abdomen, pelvis, or low back.
Pain during sexual intercourse.
Bloating and feelings of abdominal pressure.
Urinary problems, such as:
Frequent urination.
Leakage of urine (urinary incontinence).
Kidney blockage following ureter blockage (rare).
Other symptoms, such as:
Difficulty or pain with bowel movements.
Infertility. Sometimes, fibroids make it difficult to become pregnant.
Problems with pregnancy, such as placental abruption and premature labor.
Miscarriage.

Needless to say it has been hell for the last few months. I quit a really stressful job and took one that was not that bad in a bid to cope, but I just have to go get them out now. The list of complications is not that encouraging, but I have a really good doctor and should be good to go in 6 to 8 weeks after the surgery. I am not really planning to go back to work till January of 2008. I want to take this opportunity to rest and just chill out with God. Prayers are needed here. Will keep you updated.