Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. Fall is here to stay and the mornings are colder now, but the heat of the sun and the beauty of the foliage make it all worthwhile to bundle up for a little time on the front porch with my God. The older I get, the more I appreciate the changing seasons because now I see the value in each one. The changing seasons are a sweet reminder to me that not all seasons of my life are the same and they each have Purpose too. No more than I can wish away the cold Fall air or rewind the tape to the summertime, I can’t wish away the Seasons that I endure either. So I’ve learned to be content and resilient through it all. Isn’t that the way you look at your Seasons too?

It’s a blessing to be content, and it’s one of those things that most people never find in life at all. So many of us live in “if only” mode and we attempt to rationalize why we can’t be (or refuse to be) content until our Season changes. It’s easy to be content when we have everything in life that we want and when we’re trial-free. It’s an entirely different story to be content when we don’t. But what robs us of our contentment isn’t our circumstances or how much money we have in the bank or what kind of house we live in or if we have someone to share a life with. What robs us is how we view the Seasons and our own perception of the way WE believe things ought to be…in every chapter of life…according to us. Being content doesn’t mean that we’re emotional slugs and it doesn’t mean that we don’t strive for bigger and better things in our lives. Being content means that we understand that everything is a Process and we Trust that if we do our part; God will ALWAYS do His. Being content requires that we understand that all of us are unique Creations handmade by the Hand of God and that each one of us has a very specific Purpose in this Life. When we “get” that part, it’s easier to find contentment and to roll-with-the-flow through it all. It’s ONLY when we truly understand (and accept) that ALL of the changing Seasons have a Purpose much bigger than we can fully understand and it’s ONLY when we accept that IF we do our part; He’ll give us everything we need to endure the Season and He’ll see us through it all the way to to Victory. This is secret to true contentment.

There’s plenty in my life (or not in my life) that I could whine about if I didn’t know how to find my way to contentment. But I’m definitely doing my part to become the kind of woman that God wants me to be, and I’m definitely doing my part throughout this thing called “life” to make it the best that I can make it. I KNOW that those things that I could choose to whine about will fade, and the Season will change again in His time as surely as this Fall will turn to Winter. I’ve learned to be content through it all.

How about you?

“For 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. I can do all this through Him who gives me strength” Philippians 4:11-13