Contentment

The other night after boiling water to wash dishes and scraping slugs off the shower walls and switching out mosquito chips and squishing yet another bug, I leaned against the counter and thought for the first time, “this is really hard.” For just a split second I wanted to feel sorry for myself. I wanted to wallow in the “simplicity” of life back home compared to my new reality.

But just as quickly, I snapped out of it.  See, the truth of the matter is, I may not have both hot and cold water coming from my kitchen faucet, but I am blessed beyond measure.  No, living here is not “easy,” but what calling is? Grad school certainly wasn’t.  Moving to California wasn’t. My time in India definitely wasn’t. Even living in Chicago, as much as I loved it, wasn’t necessarily easy.

Regardless of our place in life, there are simplicities and difficulties, hardships and joys.  And at times it can seem that walking in your calling is the hardest, most challenging place of all.  I would do well to remember Paul’s exhortation in his letter to the Philippians to learn to be content in all situations and to rejoice in the Lord always.  Even if you’re showering with slugs, rejoice.  Be content with the water you have, because some don’t even have the privilege of running water.  Thank the Lord for his glorious creation, as you squish it and fling it out the door.

So, yeah… life isn’t that hard after all.  Easy, no. Different, yes.  But it just gives me another opportunity to learn to be content wherever I find myself.