Matthew 5:5-6
“You’re blessed when you’re content with just who you are—no more, no
less. That’s the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything
that can’t be bought.
“You’re blessed when you’ve worked up a good appetite for God. He’s food and drink in the best meal you’ll ever eat.
Scripture quotations from The Message. ©
1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by
permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
I had breakfast with some friends from high school a few weeks ago,
and one of them told of a time when he was really poor. He said he was
very hungry, and all he had in the cupboard was a packet of biscuit mix
and 2 packets of “Swiss Miss®” cocoa mix. My friend had no milk or
eggs, but he decided that he could mix the cocoa packets with water
(milk?) and add it to the biscuit mix – and make pancakes! He said, “I
didn’t even have any syrup…but I didn’t go hungry!”
You can tell by looking at me that I am all about a good meal – and
syrup on my pancakes! I like “creature comforts”…and nice things…and I
have more than my share of both. But like many people, I have things
that I wish I could change about myself…wrinkles and sags and extra
“padding” in the wrong places. I wish I could turn back the clock and
have strong “runner’s knees” again…and no arthritis in my fingers. I
look at old pictures and long for another family gathering and be youth
and energy to enjoy one another’s company.
Then I take our little ones swimming…or watch them play with abandon in
our yard or living room. I look at their happy faces as I make their
favorite sandwiches…and I realize that the children don’t care what I
look like. They accept that I can’t run as fast as they can – or climb
as high. But they know how much Greg and I love them…that they are
always safe and nurtured when they are with us…that we always have their
best interests at heart. And this bond cannot be bought.
I share a sunrise with Greg…sit and enjoy coffee and conversation on our
back porch…or laugh with him over one of our favorite sitcoms on
television while our cat, Mabel, stretches out between us in “purrfect”
contentment! And I am reminded just how abundantly full my life is…how
blessed we are to be able to have enjoyed rewarding careers that
afforded us the luxury working together - and an early retirement.
I am reminded every day, in ways great and small, of what truly
matters. For us, it is faith and family – in that order. Without faith
in God, we would not have the strength and wisdom to care for each other
and our family as we should. We would not fully appreciate how
precious life and the people in it are…and how important it is to serve
God by serving others. Without our deep and abiding relationship with
our Heavenly Father, we would probably be more focused on correcting
wrinkles, grey hair – or no hair(!), and “stuff”…and we would miss the
sunrises, laughter and wonder that is “life.”
Nobody is perfect…and I have my moments where I am less than satisfied
with where I am in life or what I have. But for the most part, I take
heart in what the Apostle Paul noted in Philippians 4:11-13…”I’ve
learned by now to be quite content whatever my circumstances. I’m just
as happy with little as with much, with much as with little. I’ve found
the recipe for being happy whether full or hungry, hands full or hands
empty. Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in
the One who makes me who I am.”
I want this to be MY “recipe” – and the “syrup on my pancakes” as well. What about you?
©2016 Debbie Robus
Showing posts with label finding joy and contentment every day. Show all posts
Showing posts with label finding joy and contentment every day. Show all posts
Daily Devotional for March 21, 2016
2 Peter 3:11-13
Since everything here today might well be gone tomorrow, do you see how essential it is to live a holy life? Daily expect the Day of God, eager for its arrival. The galaxies will burn up and the elements melt down that day—but we’ll hardly notice. We’ll be looking the other way, ready for the promised new heavens and the promised new earth, all landscaped with righteousness.
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
Given all that has happened in our family in the last three months, Greg and I felt it was urgent that we “get our house in order.” We updated our important documents, cleaned out files and closets…and we even pre-planned our funerals. Several people thought this was rather morbid - and even “rushing things.” But after the sudden deaths of Greg’s brother and my mother – both relatively young by our standards – we saw once again how quickly things can change. As this scripture puts it, everything here might very well be gone tomorrow.
The “upside” of doing all of this preparation is that we can now move forward with confidence that things are in some semblance of order…that we are not leaving a mess for our friends and relatives – or burdening them unnecessarily with questions and decisions about how we would wish for things to be handled.
We can also focus on other things that are more enjoyable. We can spend our days serving God and loving others…expectantly waiting for Him to show up and show out! There will still be bumps in the road…and details to “tweak” from time to time…but now we are free to focus on our earthly mission – and our heavenly destination. And both look pretty promising right at the moment.
I am reminded of the 4th grader who told me yesterday that he would not trade places with anyone, because, “My life is not perfect…there are problems…but it’s what I’ve been given, and it’s pretty great. I am happy with who I am and what I’ve got.” I’m with him 100%. I wish I had been that content when I was ten! Yes, this is an amazing kid. He has everything pretty well figured out...and I pray that this level of contentment and purpose continues in his life.
The thing is…we can be just like him! We can find our purpose, “get our ducks in a row,” and serve God with determination, dedication – and great hope for our future in heaven! What is required is often just a shift in attitude…and a determination to draw nearer to God and pay closer attention to His will for our lives. There is no better time than this Holy Week to make such a commitment. Won’t you join me in pledging to focus more on heaven and God’s plan for us until it is time for us to join Him there? Will you redouble your efforts to keep your eyes and ears open…to worry less and serve God more…and to share the joy of this Eternal hope with others each and every day? I’m ready to get started…what about you?
©2016 Debbie Robus
Since everything here today might well be gone tomorrow, do you see how essential it is to live a holy life? Daily expect the Day of God, eager for its arrival. The galaxies will burn up and the elements melt down that day—but we’ll hardly notice. We’ll be looking the other way, ready for the promised new heavens and the promised new earth, all landscaped with righteousness.
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
Given all that has happened in our family in the last three months, Greg and I felt it was urgent that we “get our house in order.” We updated our important documents, cleaned out files and closets…and we even pre-planned our funerals. Several people thought this was rather morbid - and even “rushing things.” But after the sudden deaths of Greg’s brother and my mother – both relatively young by our standards – we saw once again how quickly things can change. As this scripture puts it, everything here might very well be gone tomorrow.
The “upside” of doing all of this preparation is that we can now move forward with confidence that things are in some semblance of order…that we are not leaving a mess for our friends and relatives – or burdening them unnecessarily with questions and decisions about how we would wish for things to be handled.
We can also focus on other things that are more enjoyable. We can spend our days serving God and loving others…expectantly waiting for Him to show up and show out! There will still be bumps in the road…and details to “tweak” from time to time…but now we are free to focus on our earthly mission – and our heavenly destination. And both look pretty promising right at the moment.
I am reminded of the 4th grader who told me yesterday that he would not trade places with anyone, because, “My life is not perfect…there are problems…but it’s what I’ve been given, and it’s pretty great. I am happy with who I am and what I’ve got.” I’m with him 100%. I wish I had been that content when I was ten! Yes, this is an amazing kid. He has everything pretty well figured out...and I pray that this level of contentment and purpose continues in his life.
The thing is…we can be just like him! We can find our purpose, “get our ducks in a row,” and serve God with determination, dedication – and great hope for our future in heaven! What is required is often just a shift in attitude…and a determination to draw nearer to God and pay closer attention to His will for our lives. There is no better time than this Holy Week to make such a commitment. Won’t you join me in pledging to focus more on heaven and God’s plan for us until it is time for us to join Him there? Will you redouble your efforts to keep your eyes and ears open…to worry less and serve God more…and to share the joy of this Eternal hope with others each and every day? I’m ready to get started…what about you?
©2016 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for November 26, 2014
Psalm 118:24
This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Twenty-four hours. We all get the same amount of time in each and every day. Yet how we choose to live in those 24 hours differs greatly. Some of us will live with joy and purpose…some of us will gripe and grumble our way through the day. Others will sleep away a big chunk of it…after all, the “Thanksgiving Holiday break” has already begun for many!
Almost 30 years ago, I had major surgery a few days before Thanksgiving. I remember getting a phone call from my parents on Thanksgiving Day, as family members gathered at their house some 90 miles away for feasting and fun. I have to admit that I felt a little sorry for myself and Greg as I heard the laughs and chatter of family members arriving for that special get-together. But our precious neighbors brought huge plates of food to us from their family feast…and they returned with MORE full plates that evening from another family dinner! Our hearts – and our bellies – were FULL! We found a way to “rejoice and be glad” for God’s love and care on that day.
About a decade later, my mother ate her Thanksgiving Dinner in a hospital cafeteria in another city, as she sat with my dad, who was too sick from renal failure to even smell food. At their insistence, we carried on with the traditional “family dinner” at our house…and we made the best of things, given the circumstances. We found a way to “rejoice and be glad” for God’s love and care on that day.
This year, our “Thanksgiving Holiday break” will include visits with family and friends…including the squeals and giggles of several little children, which always add to the fun. We will have our traditional favorite foods…and honor those who have gone before us - and the role they played in holiday gatherings of the past. And in all of it, we will recognize that the LORD made this day – and every day – and we will “rejoice and be glad in it”.
I don’t know what your next 24 hours will be like…or how you will celebrate Thanksgiving Day – or IF you will even celebrate. But when you know and love Jesus, every day is part of a “Thanksgiving Holiday break”…or at least, it should be. Whatever your circumstances…wherever “life” takes you today and in the days ahead…will you recognize that this is the day that the Lord has made? Will you thank Him for His love and care for every single minute of it? Will you find a way to “rejoice and be glad”?
©2014 Debbie Robus
This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Twenty-four hours. We all get the same amount of time in each and every day. Yet how we choose to live in those 24 hours differs greatly. Some of us will live with joy and purpose…some of us will gripe and grumble our way through the day. Others will sleep away a big chunk of it…after all, the “Thanksgiving Holiday break” has already begun for many!
Almost 30 years ago, I had major surgery a few days before Thanksgiving. I remember getting a phone call from my parents on Thanksgiving Day, as family members gathered at their house some 90 miles away for feasting and fun. I have to admit that I felt a little sorry for myself and Greg as I heard the laughs and chatter of family members arriving for that special get-together. But our precious neighbors brought huge plates of food to us from their family feast…and they returned with MORE full plates that evening from another family dinner! Our hearts – and our bellies – were FULL! We found a way to “rejoice and be glad” for God’s love and care on that day.
About a decade later, my mother ate her Thanksgiving Dinner in a hospital cafeteria in another city, as she sat with my dad, who was too sick from renal failure to even smell food. At their insistence, we carried on with the traditional “family dinner” at our house…and we made the best of things, given the circumstances. We found a way to “rejoice and be glad” for God’s love and care on that day.
This year, our “Thanksgiving Holiday break” will include visits with family and friends…including the squeals and giggles of several little children, which always add to the fun. We will have our traditional favorite foods…and honor those who have gone before us - and the role they played in holiday gatherings of the past. And in all of it, we will recognize that the LORD made this day – and every day – and we will “rejoice and be glad in it”.
I don’t know what your next 24 hours will be like…or how you will celebrate Thanksgiving Day – or IF you will even celebrate. But when you know and love Jesus, every day is part of a “Thanksgiving Holiday break”…or at least, it should be. Whatever your circumstances…wherever “life” takes you today and in the days ahead…will you recognize that this is the day that the Lord has made? Will you thank Him for His love and care for every single minute of it? Will you find a way to “rejoice and be glad”?
©2014 Debbie Robus
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