Usually, I murmur and complain about the same things: the children being children; my husband working late; me being a married single mother most days; and me not having enough time to do everything I need or even want to do. I even occasionally employ the joy-killing duo when other stuff doesn’t go my way. Maybe this sounds familiar to you, you too busting into a dissertation about your children’s failures, parenting disparities, unmopped floors and bushy eyebrows. Last week was ripe for murmuring and complaining, but I didn’t pick from that tree. Instead I created a tree of life:

“The tongue that brings healing is a tree of life…” (Proverbs 15:4)

I didn’t consciously create that tree last week, though I had practiced planting for months. I had gotten tired of hearing myself fuss when I already knew what that child was going to do, that my husband’s schedule was our current reality and that I rarely get to do everything I want or need to do. God had shown me that interruptions to my plans are the moments I was supposed to get. I have to take those moments, teach in those moments, grow in grace in those moments, laugh and understand that no one would die in those moments, except my flesh, if I let it. So I had worked hard at having a ready response for my children’s predictable behavior, celebrating my hardworking man, joking about the layers covering dirt on my feet and rejoicing that my hair still grew. Each day when my husband asked me how my day was, “It was good” easily entered my mind and fell off my lips. While last week tired me out, I shared with a friend that I was not weary. And at the end of the week I declared “This was a good week.” I noticed then that I had not once murmured or complained about my situation. I rejoiced that I had learned to be content.

“…for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.” Philippians 4:11

This verse came to my mind this morning after God told me to strive for contentment. I had just experienced the greatest feat of discontentment in my life—a whole week without murmuring and complaining, even under the guise of sharing the busyness of my week—and this God commands me. I was perplexed, my party crashed and there was no more celebrating until I examined the verse and noticed the phrase ‘whatever situation.’ I sensed God telling me to prepare for ‘whatever situation,’ any that I had yet to encounter. There would be new situations coming. I had conquered the usual ones, but there would be more to test my contentment. Just because I had learned to be content in certain areas did not mean that I had arrived. No one arrives until they see Jesus face to face. I look forward to that day but until then I have to go from contentment to contentment, continuing to learn to be satisfied with the moments that come my way and knowing I can do so—not in my strong black woman strength but only that which comes from Jesus (2 Corinthians 3:18; Philippians 4:13).

My One Thousand Gifts List

#231-240
Christen helping me with the boys on Sunday morning
Christen watching the boys while at her play rehearsal
God keeping us safe on the highway when our car stopped in the left lane
Kyle and Saretha coming back to wait with us on the highway until the police arrived
Kyle and Saretha driving us to Andrina and Floyd’s
A friendly and helpful police officer
A hard working husband
Getting home safely through about seven inches of snow
A warm house
Andrina and Floyd bringing us home