Contentment

I fell into a classic mistake despite the quiet voice in my head warning me. I was starting Bible College and was convinced that everything will drastically change when I am done and my life plan would be made clear. Well, it didn’t quite happen as I thought. I had the most incredible faith growing time at the Academy, it stretched me in healthy ways and highlighted things in my past that I needed to move from. It may have given me tools for my future, but it did not lay out my future.

Bible College finished in July 2017 and work kept me busier than usual which meant I had a delayed reaction to finishing the year. I found myself with ‘Naomi of November 2017.’ She only worked 2 ½ days a week, looked after her adorable niece and got a couple of hours of volunteer work in.

Granted I know how to make myself busy and see everyone I know and do everything within reach but in November for some reason I ran out of steam to keep up that lifestyle and I was face to face with my new reality. It hurt. I thought I would be further in life, I am 25 living at home without a full time job. Work had no more extra hours for me and I was starting to feel desperation to leave and start something new, so I looked for jobs elsewhere but it would always lead to dead ends and shut doors. I tried hard looking and searching for my next step but kept finding myself in a limbo. I was still talking to God and praying, I just made sure we weren’t speaking about this topic, it was always the elephant in the room for us. I didn’t know how to get out of this funk so I continually listened to preachers on God words, read books but ultimately, when it came to my present life I was sad.

It hit me so gently one day. I was listening to a podcast, Conversations with John and Lisa Bevere, ‘How Contentment will change your life.’ Bear mind it is now mid December and despite all the fun and shenanigans that goes on in the Martin household that time of year, I was sad when it boiled down to me and my future. As I was listening, not thinking contentment was my issue, John said something that struck me. ‘How can I see the blessings God has for me in today, when I am constantly looking into tomorrow?’ <Cue shock face emogi> How could I move on in my life and the things God has for me when I am not even grateful for my present day? If I can’t handle my now, how will I handle my to be?

God was so kind to show me this, He knew what I needed to hear to release me from my funk. I am always so thankful for how he teaches. Through the Holy Spirit it was made known to me how I should respond to this new perspective. I saw the need to:

• Repent of my ungratefulness

• Start to enjoy my job

• Be thankful for the time I have with my niece now

• To daily seek out the blessings God has for me each day

Everything changed when I changed. I was happy, I was content with my life and OK with not knowing what was next. I started to speak life into my future and not think in fear.

Jeremiah 29:11

For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.

My response: ‘I thank you I have a future and a hope, I thank you Lord that you have plans to bless me’

Proverbs 31:25

‘Strength and dignity are her clothing, And she smiles at the future.’

My response: ‘I am clothed with strength and dignity, I thank you Lord that I can smile at the future’

Being a content Naomi at the end of 2017 helped me move into 2018 with hope for the year, peace in God and joyful in my everyday. My heavenly father knows what is set before and in his timing I will be where I need to be.