“Turn the doorknob,” my husband replied. My two-year-old son frantically shook the knob with no success until he heard a calm voice with a plan. My husband located a screwdriver and hammer, removed the door from its hinges, and set our son free. I wonder what went through my son’s mind as he waited.
The tug-of-war ended with a tearful hug. My husband said he felt our son’s relief when his arms flew around his neck.
I’ve felt restricted before too. When I became a stay-at-home mom, our finances were tight. My husband and God put a constraint on my spending habits. New clothes and newer cars, the latest technology, and club memberships were not an option.
The first few years I focused on self-pity. The attention was on me. I worried if we could make ends meet. I didn’t trust in God’s provision. During my eight years as a stay-at-home mom, I have learned the secret of contentment. It comes from the heart. This has been my fullest year so far. I’ve learned to trust God whether we have $1000 or $10 in our account. He provides all our needs and not necessarily our wants.
Because God is good and gracious, He grants our needs and some wants. We are a family of six relying on His wisdom for living on a teacher’s salary. He has allowed me to share our frugality through a freezer cooking ministry at church.
The secret lies in God’s Word. “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.” His truth has set me free. I don’t need to keep up with the Jones’ or to panic when I feel hemmed-in by the pressures of our finances. I am content waiting for God to open the door so I can wrap my arms around His neck.
How about you? Are you wallowing in self-pity? Do you know contentment is independent of what you have? Reach out, like my son, and trust God for your provisions. Hold on tight for He will set you free.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jackie Brown is a wife and mom to four children. She is the founder of a non-profit freezer cooking ministry within her church of 5000. Her blog, Mom on a Mission for Christ, attracts women who want to cook whole foods and freeze meals for their family while helping both church and community. Formerly an abandoned, homeless orphan, Jackie has the opportunity to serve homeless women and children monthly through her passion for freezer cooking. She enjoys speaking, reading, writing, camping, and family. www.cookandplay.webs.com.