Still. I can’t believe we are still here. I’ve had that thought many times recently.
We got married nearly ten years ago while HubbaHubba was still a student at the local Bible college where we met. We had plans then. He was going to finish his schooling in the next two years, then we would be leaving Southwest Missouri when he took a position as a music minister in some terrific congregation. Our call was him to the ministry and me as a minister’s wife. And it wasn’t going to be with us staying here.
While finishing his last two semesters of college, HubbaHubba was offered a position as an associate minister at a congregation here in town. He graduated, he worked at the church part time and in retail full time to provide for his family which had quickly grown from just the two of us, to four with the birth of our eldest two children in less than 18 months. That ministry came to a close and we searched for a new position elsewhere. The more time passed, the further we looked from the places we thought were ideal.
Each time we applied for a position at a church, we would find out that it was already filled but the listing hadn’t been removed from the job boards they were posted on. Or we weren’t the right fit after an initial phone interview. I was getting frustrated and finances were really tight. Neither of us thought we would still be here after all this time. What about our plans? What about what we wanted? It wasn’t like we weren’t trying to do what we thought God’s plan was for us.
I didn’t want to stay here. I am a military brat so I’m used to moving on a regular basis. I was getting antsy staying here in town the longer we were here. In the course of the intervening years, I’ve learned that God has us where He wants us. Why we are still here, I still don’t know the exact answer to. However, for me, I’ve had to learn contentment. I have to make the most of where we are at now, and not put things off for “when we move.” We bought a house seven years ago next month. We are involved in our church (I volunteer wherever and HubbaHubba is the Deacon over technology). We’ve made a home. We have learned to live in the present, not in the unknown future.
Living in the now and not in a holding pattern has taken a lot of work on my part. I have to be intentional with making and keeping friends (something this military brat struggles greatly with). I have to watch myself that I don’t start lusting over the thought of moving elsewhere constantly (we are always open to the possibility of doing so). I have to make sure my children feel grounded in their hometown and have that stability instead of just shoving things off to do when we finally live elsewhere.
So, today I shall challenge you to seek being content in your situation. That doesn’t mean that I don’t want you to try and improve it, but to be content and not wishing for what you don’t have. Whether that is in regards to your car, a new phone, a new house or moving. For we won’t really appreciate the next thing if we can’t appreciate what we have now.