Nutty Buddies, Blessings and A Lesson on Contentment

I think the older I get the more nostalic I become. I was thinking recently of a special memory that I had of my grandmother, Claire Solberg, who we affectionately referred to as Nana Solberg. She would come to our house for extended stays twice a year. Once was always around Christmas and then she would return again during the summer. I always looked forward to her coming to our house because, looking back, I realize this was the only time that I really got to see her. Well ok, I also looked forward to her coming because I always had to give up my room when she came. Which in the end was a sweet deal for me because (unknown to my brothers) she paid me everytime she came for, as she would put it, "letting her use my boudoir"- which she taught me was a fancy word for bedroom! She always made me feel like the giving up of my bedroom was such a sacrifice and that it was only proper for her to pay me. Of course, it was always some outrageous amount too.

Another special memory with my Nana was that whenever she was with us around Christmas she always came to our school concerts and then treated us to ice-cream on the way home. Of course we had to go to the local creamery for the very best made onsite ice-cream around. However,I didn't look forward to the fresh churned homemade ice-cream. No, I looked forward to being able to get a Nutty Buddy from the freezer that contained the frozen ice-cream novelties - like you can get from an ice-cream truck. Crazy, but it was a highlight for me. I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that after every concert we would head to the ice cream place in town, and that I was going to be able to get a nutty buddy from the freezer that sat right inside the door of the ice cream shop. Recently I was thinking about the predictability of that Nutty Buddy and how much I loved going there after each concert or school function. It was something I anticipated, looked forward to, could count on. I really do not remember a concert that Nana Solberg went to with us that was not followed by this very routine.

It is so easy for me to wish for simpler days. It is even easier for me to wish that everything would be carefree, safe, and well.... predictable. If I dwell on that I become discontent when things seem anything but carefree, safe.... or predictable. It is then that I find myself trying to convince my heart that I want my life to be easier to figure out, I want my life to be like going to the ice-cream store with my Nana.... the Nutty Buddy is always there!

I was kind of spiraling down that road last week, not wanting a Nutty Buddy:), but I was allowing myself to be so frustrated with life's current circumstances. I was allowing discontentment to brew inspite of the promises that I have already been given. Promises that far outweigh simple problem-free days or a life of predictability. These promises bring true contentment to last through all of my days... whether they are predictable or not! I could try to list them all but I most surely would fail, there are so many. In Ephesians 1:3 Paul tells us that God has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms.

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ".

It doesn't say some of the spiritual blessings,or a few of them but rather EVERY single one of them. I have access to the heavenly father who will meet every single need I have. Such a simple lesson, and yet it seems to be one I must learn over and over again. I don't need to long to be problem free or have my days filled with predictability. My heavenly father is capable of meeting my every need and He allows me to see it is not an easy life that I should desire because those just bring temporary satisfaction. But rather contentment in my life is what I should seek. That can only come through my relationship with Jesus Christ. It will never come from the events or people in my life. It can only come from Him. His work in my life creates the contentment I need.

Ephesians 3:20 "Now glory be to God, who by his mighty power at work within us is able to do far more than we would ever dare to ask or even dream of—infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, or hopes"