by Jill St. John “I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.” Philippians 4:11-12 NIV. Dictionary.com defines contentment as “satisfied with what one is or has; not wanting more or anything else.”¹ And truly, isn’t Jesus the Contentment-Satisfier-in-Chief? He absolutely is! Yet, I sometimes find myself feeling less than satisfied. I find myself struggling with being content, not so much materially, but relationally. As Summer is upon us and I am traveling through the Mother's and Father's Day seasons, I am really missing my Mom and Dad. I miss searching for just the right cards and adding sentiments of love and appreciation. I miss hearing their voices and their stories. I miss their hugs and laughs. In my growing-up years in the Black Hills of South Dakota, at the request of my outdoor-picnic-loving Mom, our family’s Mother’s Day tradition was to celebrate with an Iron-Man Picnic. It earned that name because in mid-May, the Black Hills can still see snowfall and daytime high temperatures in the 40s. Many of those Mom’s Day picnics were freezing cold–even for the “iron men” and women of our family!
I am also in a learning curve as my husband and I navigate this season of parenting our adulting kids who live hundreds of miles away. It is a whole new world of holidays without them and no summer vacation time with them. It is a hard adjustment after their entire twenty-some years of life in our home, enjoying millions of moments full of meals, games, performances, laughs, trips, sports, movies, prayers, hikes, talks, milestones, and special memories made together. It is hard to not compare my life with my friends who still have both parents living. It is hard to not feel a little envious of my friends who have adult kids who live close by, and they see them regularly. The Lord is teaching me that a powerful part of the secret is that it is impossible to be content if I am comparing. He also whispers the secret of choosing to be happy about what I do have and not resentful or sad or fixated on what I do not have. It is easier said than done, and I am learning. As I have poured out my heartache to the Lord about missing my parents, I am so thankful for His comfort. The Holy Spirit speaks and soothes. I have felt God lovingly invite me to give up unfulfilled expectations and bitterness. Instead of focusing on what and whom I am missing, Jesus gently calls me to learn the secret: being grateful for what, and whom, I do have. He calls me out of the pity party and into the celebration of praising Him for all of the many blessings in my life. He calls me out of resentment and into rejoicing in the incredible people I do have. When I am feeling discontent, I am learning that the secret to flipping the switch to contentment is to start rehearsing what and whom I do have. Jesus saved me, and that is enough. Jesus loves me, and that is enough. Jesus is preparing a place in Glory for me, and that is enough. And on top of those amazing, divine, miraculous, eternal blessings, He has given me a devoted husband, fabulous children (two of our own and two by marriage), wonderful extended family, and a fantastic church family. Jesus has healed me and is growing His glorious Kingdom all around, in, and through me. During the spring season that celebrated Easter and Passover, I was reminded of the little song that I learned while living with a Jewish family as their nanny. It is Dayenu. That Hebrew term means: It would have been enough. It is referring to all the miracles of God as He brought the Israelites out of Egypt and saw them through the wilderness for forty years. The song declares over and over that just one of those miracles would have been enough. That really is the secret of being content: realizing that God loving and saving us would have been enough. And yet, our relentlessly generous Heavenly Father heaps abundant blessings upon us! God’s blessings are what I am trying to focus on as I am missing my Mom and Dad at this time of year. Instead of choosing special cards for them, I am choosing special cards for my outstanding in-laws and the spiritual parents in my life. Instead of staying in sadness, I am tapping into gratitude. In this new season of our family life, I am grateful for my best-friend husband and time to rediscover hobbies together and tackle long over-due projects. My “kid-fix” is happening through the children of our church family and pouring into our staff kids. Paul penned the words of Philippians from prison. Something about his dismal surroundings and the stark backdrop of this epistle makes it mean something much deeper. If Paul, who was in the isolation and destitution of prison, could say he had learned the secret of being content, maybe I can learn it, too! ¹ dictionary.com ABOUT OUR AUTHOR Jill St. John, once a high school English teacher, is an ordained minister in the Assemblies of God. She serves as Co-Pastor alongside her husband, Jason. For the last 29 years, they have served at Evangel Church in Kansas City: 6 years as youth pastors, 23 years as lead pastors. Jill has a passion for Jesus and a zeal for teaching God’s Word—helping others walk in God’s love and purpose. As a 4-time cancer survivor, she knows the goodness of God through the highs and lows of life and ministry. Jill is an authentic, enthusiastic messenger of God’s joy and hope. Teaching, cooking, gardening, laughing and hanging out with friends, her husband and two young adult kids and kids-in-law are the delights of her life!
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by Kim Oyler Many of you, like me, have been through difficult seasons in the church. Long seasons—Hurry, God! Dry Seasons—Send the rain, God! Painful seasons—Bind my wounds, God! Obscure seasons—Do you see me, God? Quiet seasons—Do you hear me, God?
As we embarked on this new and difficult season that I had never experienced, I asked the Lord “What is happening?” Simply put, I was sad, mad, and afraid. In that moment with the Lord, I was reflecting on a statement that a congregant had made to someone else in the church. His comment regarding our church was, “It looks like we’re going backwards.” It was an innocent statement. He didn’t mean any malice. He was just stating the facts. But I took it to heart. As I took that statement to the Lord, He replied to me with a picture of a child’s toy. It was a pull-back car. Do you remember the cars that you drug backwards and then released to speed across the floor? The Lord explained to me through this image that is what is happening right now. He went on to explain that it is the act of pulling backwards that creates the momentum to move forward!!! I knew that I did not like the pulling back. In the moment, I was feeling the opposite of momentum. The pulling back felt more like a loss of time and effort rather than a preparation for movement. However, His timely words in the form of a picture reminded me that He is in charge and can see the big picture. His quick answer to my question also provided me with some needed encouragement for this next part of our journey. Next, the Lord reminded me of a time many years ago that I had been horseback riding in Colorado with my family. At the time, as we rode through the typically beautiful mountainous region with strong and mighty pines surrounding us, we noticed that the trees were dying. They were brown and desolate looking. Our trail guide explained that the pine beetle had infiltrated the region and was killing hundreds if not thousands of trees. His next statement jarred me. He said, “We’re actually due for a forest fire.” The word due stuck-out to me. He went on to talk about this anticipated forest fire as if he was looking forward to it. I wrestled with the concept of looking forward to something so destructive. The truth was that the fire was exactly what they needed to stop the devastating path of the pine beetles. The fire that we usually associate with destruction would actually be used to restart life! What an amazing perspective to keep in mind as we face trials and setbacks. These pictures and memories that the Lord shared with me renewed my perspective. It renewed my strength to face the future. If you are in a season where it looks like you’re going backwards, I encourage you to look at this as a season of the pull-back car. Embrace every part of it, knowing that it is the pulling back that creates the momentum to propel you forward in your ministry! If you are in a season where it simply feels like everything is burning down, I encourage you to understand that sometimes the destruction of one thing is necessary to bring forth new life in a new area. Just as the forest fire itself enriches the soil and enables the forest to replenish itself in a healthier, brand-new way, we, too, can come through the fire enriched in many ways--growing our character, growing our faith, and growing our trust in the Lord. Today as I look outside and see the fresh, new growth of spring, I also see that my church is flourishing in new ways. The foundation is stronger and healthier than ever. We survived the fire! The Lord has sent new life and new growth in so many areas. A fire that was meant to destroy brought new life and a fresh start… and I am grateful! When we leaned in to the pulling back and let the Lord teach, reform, and guide, it created new momentum. I am thankful that His Word is true and that I can trust that these trials develop good things in me. They create opportunities for growth and equip me with the maturity and character needed in the next season. I have learned to persevere through trials, to trust in his ways so that I can be mature, lacking nothing. So, yes, I will rejoice in the hard even if it’s through tears. Yes, I will consider it joy as I face difficulty, knowing that His ways are so much better than mine!!!
ABOUT OUR WRITER Kim and her husband, Brad, have been in ministry 31 years, the last 12 years as copastors of Courageous Life Church in Independence, Missouri. They have two adult sons, 3 grandchildren and 2 middle school aged sons that keep them busy. Kim enjoys farm life and being outdoors, as well as writing and teaching. She is stepping into a new season of courage and obedience as she continues to grow in her walk with the Lord. |
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