Contentment

Contentment

“‘… in quietness and trust is your strength.’” (Isaiah 30:15).


Contentment.

How long has it been since you’ve experienced the sheer joy of resting in the contentment of a moment?

I saw it in my daughter the other day. I took a picture.

With a good book in one hand, a good drink in the other, she partook of a moment so few of us fully understand. I’m pretty sure she didn’t understand it herself. Her mind has yet to wrap itself around such wisdom. Age is her viable excuse; what’s mine? I’m forty-three and still searching for understanding. What’s yours?

Let me tell you what I received from that moment (other than the gift of an adorable picture I’ll have for years to come). Amelia’s contentment didn’t stem from the rich narrative of her newly acquired book or the even richer “makings” of her beverage.

Her contentment came from being able to enjoy them both without worrying about who’s in the driver’s seat.

No worries about the road ahead. No concerns about the upcoming “stop” signs and signals, the merging traffic, the oncoming vehicles, the potential accidents waiting to happen. No fear about what’s in front, what looms behind, what lies on either side of her cradled confinement.

No, when Amelia took to her reading and her drinking, she did so with the full confidence that her chauffeur would carry her fragile frame from point “A” to point “B,” allowing her the freedom to enjoy the ride.

In quietness and trust she made a big assumption. She assumed she didn’t have to worry about her safety. She assumed her only responsibility was to enjoy the moment she’d been given—the one including a good book and an even better drink.

The simple faith of a child.

We’d all do well to take a look backward at an earlier season of living when life walked easier because our trust believed better. We needed less proof back then about the road ahead. We simply lived it as it arrived because we assumed that our chauffeur had us covered.

He’s got us covered, friends. Sit back and enjoy the ride this weekend. The good book and a good drink awaits your quietness and trust in the good God who is “holy” intent on getting you from point “now” to point “forever.” As always,

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Copyright © June 2009 – elaine olsen

33 Responses to Contentment

  1. Yahweh, THE I AM, of yesterday, today and tomorrow…our eternal chauffeur starting the ride the day we give Him our heart
    thank you for reminding us of contentment

  2. I LOVE this analogy. We ALL need to remember the contentment we had as a child, and to trust like that again.

  3. What a great reminder, Elaine — resting in Him with the faith of a child… So thankful He's got us covered!

  4. God made this verse real to me three years ago when I first made
    a serious commitment to journaling.

    I love the first part of the verse as well.

    "In repentance and rest is your salvation."

    We need it all, don't we?

    Repentance. Rest. Quietness in our hearts. And His strength.

    Isaiah 32:17 also goes along with your devotion:

    "The fruit of righteousness will be peace;
    the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever."

    There can be no contentment without righteousness.

    Our loving God is so good to give us that contentment and that confidence as we come before Him.

    In righteousness.

    His Son's righteousness.

    Thank you for sharing your thoughts. I needed to hear this message.

  5. There is no better place in the world than the place of contentment. A place that we all can live at. Thanks for helping us all to look for the times of contentment that I am sure we have had in our lives and begin looking for them in our everyday life as well.
    Happy 4th of July!
    Christy

  6. Great post- Seeing the world from children's point of view is so important! I think it helps keep us humble, too 🙂 Love your blog!

  7. I really love this.

    What a great picture and great reminder. I have had a few moments of that today. Being able to "just" be content. Spending time on my talks for She Speaks, writing, reading, praying, talking with a good friend…

    Content in what God has given me this day. What a blessing…

    Trusting in Him for today… and all my tomorrows…
    God bless,
    Heather

  8. This post really touched me in many ways. Made me smile to see your sweet daughter so "content" reading and sipping away. Then it made me remember as you said, earlier times when I felt the same way….no worries, just trust. And conviction! I felt conviction in that I so often worry, worry, worry about what MIGHT happen! I am trying hard to trust God more. My verse for the first two weeks of July on the LPM blog is 2 Corinthians 10: 5…"Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obecience of Christ."

    Thanks for such a refreshing look at how we should find contentment and trust!

    Marilyn

  9. Wonderful post! I've feeling more and more like that lately:) I haven't been over here in awhile–been busy reading everyone's work–but glad I got here today!

  10. Love, love, LOVE this! Makes me take a deep, full breath and RELAX. Thanks. I really needed that today. :o)

    Hugs,
    Melinda

  11. That precious baby girl! Please give her a hug for me! The contentment of the yummy drink, Sponge Bob books and TRUST in her driver…it just "don't get no better!!" Oh, you're preaching to me sister…that's what I need to focus on each and every day.

    Love ya!
    Susan
    PS–Loved the previous post too!! Tell your dad and mom "hey" for me!

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  13. The "be still and know" security that we so need & cherish. What a great way to give it context.

    Smart Mom to catch this, too! It just might come in handy someday – – like when she's 16 and not content to be a passenger, but would prefer being the driver! 🙂

    Kathleen

  14. Smart Elaine… great understanding of just the way it is! So, do tell, what is her drink of choice AND are those some fun earrings she's wearing, or what?!

  15. Love this post, and LOVE the picture of Amelia…she is workin' those earrings!

  16. She is so precious. I have started "The Pursuit of Holiness" book and devotional with a friend and my husband. It's all about being holy as He has instructed us to. I thought of you when I read the first two chapters today…

    In His Graces~Pamela

  17. As the ever vigilant "back seat driver" (my husband will say a heartily AMEN to that), resting in quietness and trust is something that doesn't come to easily. I have spent 44 years hungering for that release and yet, it is remains hard for this grip to let go. Praying that this weekend I celebrate a freedom – a personal one.

    Shalom,
    Denise

  18. Aww, what a refreshing message and beautiful little girl!

    A good book and great beverage is indeed contentment.

    Communing with GOD in prayer in the stillness of a quiet house is glorious contentment too.

    Making rounds dear sister to wish everyone a beautiful 4th of July.

    Love you.

  19. Elaine, the picture made me smile…love my starbucks! I've been at camp these last two weeks as a facilitator for the challenge course. I have noticed, mainly from pictures taken of the week, that I am not smiling much at all. The first week was tough! The second week I settled in, mainly because I had kids to work with and not just hanging out with adults. I found contentment this week, though, hanging out in the cold river — sitting on the edge with a great book for a few hours. Talk about peaceful. If I could do that all the time, in everything I do…wow! I came home on Thursday night to a messy house, it was hot, job applications needed to continue to find a teaching job for this fall, we don't have any plans for the holiday weekend, etc. DISCONTENTMENT HIT BIG TIME! what do you do during these times? I really just wanted to run back out to camp and sit in the river! Thanks for sharing this story with me…great reminder of Who is my driver!!

  20. Wanted to let you know that my 'fingers' brought me to your blog on my post today!!

    and than I see that Christy Rose's fingers did the same with her's..LOL…The Lord wanted some bloggers that haven't 'met' you yet, to be shared at our blogs…

  21. Oh Elaine, how I needed to read this one. Contentment seems so far away for me at the moment. And yet your description of your daughter really hit home for me.

    I always seem to be concerned about getting there. I guess we each have different histories but it's hard for me to remember ever being totally content. Gosh, that's sad. And yet in my head I know that I have peace with God through Jesus. It's just the daily living that gets in the way. However, I'm learning ever so slowly about submitting and yielding and allowing Him to live in and through me. Then no matter what happens, I can trust that He's in control.

    Thanks for this timely reminder. And happy 4th of July, Elaine.

  22. Taking so many things off my calendar and relaxing, completing a task and just embracing the fullness of moments that are empty give me so much joy. Your daughter is precious and even more so with her book and drink. Hey when is your bday. I knew we were close in age, but we are the same age.

  23. The picture is priceless. That is real peace…childlike faith. Thanks for sharing. Blessings to you and your family this July 4th weekend!

  24. Sponge Bob and Starbucks, sunglasses and earrings…what more could you ask for…???

    Love the application you drew from this. Needing to rest in that contentment myself.

    Hugs,
    Joy

  25. That elusive joy—contentment. I'm not sure we slow down long enough most days to even find it. We just want and want and want and are never satisfied with what we have. A sorry, sad way to be.

    Leah

  26. Oh yes, YES!!!!! Amen, hallelujah and praise the Lord. Awesome post, one I'll remember for a long time. Oh to be content with God's control over my life…my sanctification…my destination from point A to point B. Love ya!!

  27. Just yesterday I found myself thanking the Lord that "it doesn't depend on me." Whenever I feel like I'm in life's "driver's seat," contentment goes out the window immediately. And yet it seems like I'm always trying to climb back into that seat, again and again…

  28. Hi Elaine:
    Just catching up on the posts. Loved this! What a wonderful picture of contentment and awesome reminder that we aren't in the drivers seat… I loved your words "our trust believed better". So profound. Love it.
    Marita

  29. What a great picture, and a great reminder! Thank you for sharing this. It really hit home with me.

  30. Elaine, LOVED this post. It really hit home to me this morning. I am in a time of my life where it is hard for me to sit back and let the chauffeur get me where I am going safely. I tend to want to take control of the wheel and hang on for dear life. But over and over again, he manuevers me past all of the road hazards and brings me safely through.

    Sometimes this faith thing is easy. Sometimes hard. I know God never promised it would be easy, but He did promise he would be with me through it all.

    Thanks for the reminder! Love you!

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