Therewith To Be Content..

The verse (Phil 4:11).... for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content." encourages a person to be content with what they have. I am down with that. It's not fun to be discontent. I understand the verse and I understand the concept. I have to wonder about the other part...I mean...if we were ALWAYS content....would we dare to dream of something new and different? If some of the greatest inventors were content with the way things were made - would we ever see the new and innovative ideas come to be? So, I would have to define the difference between complacency and contentment...dreaming and always wanting more. Ahhh...the balance is the tricky part. I only ramble because its swirling in my head. There are things I would LOVE to do, but of course...I don't live on an island and my decisions affect other people. This is not a news flash, but it all comes into play. For instance, of course I should be thankful for my job...and I am (on most days) but I would love to branch out on my own....easier said than done.

I know some people who dream to write novels for a living, but that takes such time and sacrifice. Where does a mom with a few kids live out her dream to write a novel and still be super mom? Of course, I think many women are blessed with the ability to do both, but they continually wrestle with the time devoted to family and the time devoted to self. Of course, we should be content with what the Lord has blessed us with...and He always wants what is best for us. So, I have to believe he gave us the ability to dream and to dream big. He made dreamers and realists to balance out our world of inventors and practical decision makers. So, I have decided to put one foot in each world. One foot will balance me in the world of contentment and realism and the other will dance in dreams and ideals. I have a feeling both feet can walk toward the same goal.
Speaking of ideals.... this picture just goes to show....even when it rains....a little creativity can go a long way. I mean, we could have been content to just sit and watch the rain ;)