I found this post by KSMilkmaid while taking my pregnancy break a few months ago. I decided it was finally time to get it on here because it is so excellent.
Don’t be put off by the title of Mirage: Christian Agrarian Communities (update: no longer available online anywhere). It is not so much about agrarianism as much as it is about contentment and serving God with gladness wherever He has placed you.
This is such a good reminder for me. David and I live in the city. But given half a chance we would be out of here immediately. David grew up in the country and even though I am a suburban gal myself, I long for wide open spaces, beautiful views and quiet. We’ve tried to move out of the city a few times and every time it has not worked. For whatever reason, God has us here in the city at least for now.
Because we’ve tried to leave, I think I’ve learned a little better to be content here. The longing to move hasn’t completely left and we still hope and dream about moving somewhere else. But if I can’t be happy here, I won’t be happy anywhere because my happiness and joy have to come from my heart, not my location. So I try to focus on living in the here and now, here in the city. I try to focus on being content for what I have and not always longing for that “something better” that always seems to elude us. My life is here for now and I’m focusing on making it the best life I can whether it is what I would choose or not. And the more I focus on trusting that God has us here for a reason, the more content I find myself.
To Be Useful In God’s Kingdom Means Suffering
One of my favorite scriptures is “Godliness with contentment is great gain.” There are a lot of Godly women who are not content and there are seemingly content women who are not in Christ. The Bible says both are needful for true contentment. Bloom where HE plants you.