Lessons Learned

This week our oldest two girls have been at Child Evangelism Training (which they love!).  Our other two girls have been playing with some very sweet friends of ours who live about an hour and a half away (which they also love!).  My honey's been working late, although we were thankful that he was able to get home on time one night so we could have a date night. :)  All that to say that, for the first time in almost 18 years, I had a lot of time to myself.  During that time I learned quite a bit:

I learned about getting rid of excess (as I shared in yesterday's post).  It also helped that I was cleaning out my dresser and closet and got rid of 5 trash bags full of clothes - really?  That's almost embarrassing.  I don't actually buy clothes very often at all.  I'd just keep clothes past their usefulness.  I also learned once again that we actually had a desk under all the clutter in the dining room.  I still have multiple things that need gone through, but Rome wasn't built in a day, right? :)

God showed me something else yesterday while I was walking.  The 2nd half of Philippians 4:11 came to mind, "for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content."  Followed closely by Philippians 4:13, "I can do all things through him who strengthens me."  As I was walking and talking with God and mulling over the idea of excesses, I realized that for me excess is often a symptom of discontentedness.  Wow, I'd been discontent and never really put my finger on it.  This tied to so many things.  I always have an Amazon shopping cart going.  Really?!?  I did just tell you how much clutter is in my home and what I'm going through and getting rid of.  Could it be that I'm not being content with what I have, which is why I'm always wondering what else is out there?
Same for food.  If I'm full, but then thought about a chocolate chip cookie, is it discontentedness that makes me get up and eat something for the taste when I'm not even hungry?  As I thought and prayed, I felt God showing me that even things in the past that affected our marriage were really tied to being discontent.  And I never even realized it and certainly never thought of myself as discontent.  I also realized that it's a symptom of misplaced focus.  If I'm abiding in Christ, how could I be discontent?  Wow - great thing to learn.  It is my goal to be content with where God has me.  (I came home from my walk and this eye opening experience to find the above picture on facebook.) :)  1 Timothy 6:6 "Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment"

Another lesson God showed me was that He is with me.  Hebrews 13:5b "I will never leave you nor forsake you."  I always thought of that verse in the context of times of trouble.  However, I've seen through this week, that He is and will always be with me, in times of trouble but also in times of peace.  You must understand, that I LOVE  being a wife and mother.  I think that my husband and kids are the best and I love hanging out with them.  In fact, that's been one of my fears - my kids growing up.  My dream for my life was to be a wife and mother and I'm relishing that role.  I worried that once my kids grew up, the best part of my life would be over.  While I'm still loving that my kids are still young and at home, this week was a little glimpse for me that, even though I had a lot of alone time, I wasn't really alone.  And it was good.  I enjoyed getting projects done and spending time with God while I went about my day.  (I know He's always with me.  But in the busyness of this stage of life, I'm often talking to so many other people that I don't talk to Him as often.  Hopefully that will change.)

So there you have it, 3 things I learned this week.  Oops, make it 4.  I also learned that I talk to myself a lot...I talk to the animals a bunch too! ;)