On Being Content and Settling In

A few Sundays ago, the sermon was on contentment. It's funny when you think you don't really need to hear a sermon and then halfway through you're like, "Oh, wow. Umm, he's talking right to ME!" Thus was the case this particular Sunday.

A friend stated to me a few months ago that she wanted to stay with me but she knew that I always remarked that my house was too small so she didn't want to bother me. Ouch. I know I've mentioned once or twice that I don't have a guest bedroom (which, I'm a HUGE guest bedroom person because I love having guests!) and it makes it hard to have overnight guests because they would need to sleep on an air mattress,.but I realized that the way I said it must have come across as not being content in this adorable little house that I call my home.

Before the sermon, I started thinking of when my husband has a job, when my kids can have their own bedrooms, when we'll have a guest bedroom again (wahoo!), and how life will finally feel settled once again when we 1)are done with college  2)move to a bigger house.

And then the sermon came along as well as a conversation with my husband about contentment. We could be living on the streets right now or still living in his parent's basement (which would be quite the commute now since they moved! Ha!) But, God provided a house...a house that fits our needs and really is JUST the right size. I have learned how to downsize and it's been wonderful!

I remember reading about a military wife that made it her goal to always unpack and settle into her house no matter how long she ended up living in one place. I think I've had it in the back of my head that Mankato and this house is just temporary.....just for one more year. But, in the last few days, I've been trying to change my thinking. I want to view it as I thought of our time in Iowa....our home and community until God calls us somewhere else....with no timeline in the back of my head!

Now I'm trying to enjoy my house, my church, and the community of Mankato for all it's worth until God calls us somewhere else. Not thinking about what is next in life....now THAT is contentment.

I guess that means I need to finally organize my laundry room :)