Thoughts That Make A Difference

Thoughts That Make A Difference- January 2012

Contentment vs. Settling?

It is late (after 12:30 AM) and I have the same thing on my mind tonight that I have been thinking about since early December...when does contentment turn into settling? I don't know about you but I am in an odd place in my career. I have been blessed to work as a Senior Attorney for the Department of Children and Families for the past seven years. I LOVE what I do!!! The reality of the job is working long hours in a high liability position. As a government employee I am just like the rest of the State's public servants. I have not had a raise of any sort for the past four years. There have been very few promotional opportunities in this tight economy. Yet, I am content with the purpose of my work and the passion with which I serve the state's most vulnerable citizens, our children!

At the end of each year, I reflect while journaling. This year as I was writing, I was listening to a sermon that talked about great expectations. The preacher quoted verses I was very familiar with: "God can do exceedingly and abundantly above all that you can ask." "You have not because you ask not!" The minister's point was that God likes us to challenge Him. Hmmmm...so my question is, what if you have a vision for your life...you have faith that the vision will become a reality...and while God is working out the details of the plan, you are content with how He is providing for you and using you at this moment. Does this mean you are settling?

In my case, instead of always asking God for something, I have such a spirit of gratitude. I just give thanks in most of my prayers. I feel blessed to be healthy and I feel blessed to have EHAP Inc. as well as my position at DCF. I feel blessed to have the flexibility I need to do both. I feel blessed to have my 25 year old home and my 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee that has almost 160,000 miles on it. Does this mean I am settling? (Now, I am believing God for a new vehicle this year, but I want a 2009 car with no more than 30,000 miles on it.) I don't feel a need for a bigger house, a brand new car, a job paying six figures or even a size six body figure. (smile) There are places I want to travel and audiences I want to inspire and empower, along with other goals I have set. BUT in this moment...I really feel like all is well! Does this mean I am settling?

I am not sure of the answer, but I find myself asking, "God what would you have me to do? Where would you have me to go? What would you have me to say and to whom?" This is a prayer from A Course in Miracles. As someone who has been a control freak for the majority of my life, it feels really good to just surrender to my Creator and say, "Order my steps in every way! Divinely connect me with the right people at the right place and right time." Does this mean I am settling because I am not asking God for specifics?

What makes this even harder for me is that I have written a book entitled "You Don't Have To Settle!" In that book, I share how to make your vision a reality. So why am I in this place of contentment? BECAUSE, I AM LIVING MY DREAM! There is one small note I should make at this point, part of my vision over ten years ago was that I would travel the world as a speaker...I have done that to a certain extent but not fully as I saw it in the vision. But I know that things happen as they should and when they should. I am clear that I am on a journey that is preparing me for the magnitude of the work to come. I am not in a rush, I don't advertise my speaking in an aggressive way, and all of my business is from word of mouth. Does this mean I am settling?

Perhaps it is not settling at all, but rather relaxing into God's plan for my life instead of trying to create my own. Maybe I am at a place in my life that I am saying, "Lord, any way you want to bless me I'll be satisfied!" Or perchance, I feel like God has done so much for me that if He doesn't do anything else for me, He has done more than enough! What if I am just giving thanks in ALL things? What if I refuse to be anxious for anything? Is it possible to be abased and abound? What if I truly believe that ALL things are working together for my good? Maybe being content means I am enjoying the journey and resting in God's perfect will for me...which is definitely not a bad place! From my perspective, I am defintely not settling!