Thursday, July 10, 2008

I Can't Get No Satisfaction

I make it my goal to be content but not satisfied.
Ummm... let me say that again.
I try to be content in my circumstances....
but I find myself unsatisfied.
Hmmm... now I'm really digging myself a hole.
That does NOT sound good.
But let me explain. Stick with me here.

Content: In my mind, being content means being thankful for where I am, at peace with my life's circumstances, and humbled by the blessings given to me and mine. It comes from down deep, a feeling of assurance, a secure knowledge that I am living in His will.

Satisfied: For me, satisfaction means feeling complete in this world, being fulfilled by one's surroundings and experiencing a worldly kind of pleasure, like when a big juicy burger and a glass of Pepsi hits just the right spot. Mmmmmm. Burp.

So, I repeat...
I make it my goal to be content but not satisifed.
Now looking at it, I can see I fudged a little.

I DO want to be content in my circumstances. I pray to be at peace with exactly where God has put me atthisdayinthiscitywiththesepeopleatthisverymoment. I think it is something only He can deliver. Contentment.

Now.... do I make is my GOAL to be unsatified?
Heck no, but God has a funny little way of KEEPING me unsatisfied.

I mean, not so much with the burgers, cause I eat a lot of those, but with things like say, my house. We spent a lot of money updating the kitchen, and it is fine. But for reasons I won't get into (orange granite), I am not SATISFIED. The cabinents are chipping; they need to be repainted. We are living with plaid hand-me-down couches. Not SATISFIED. The garage is too small and my husband is too busy and there are hundreds of legos scattered througout the house and the girl in the mirror looks a bit different than before and the grass in the backyard is totally gone and our dog throws up too much and my jeans don't fit the way they used to and my car gets terrible gas mileage.... and.... now that I think about it that juicy hamburger gave me some serious heartburn!!!


You can see I'm not SATISFIED.

BUT listen, it's Ok with me to not be satisfied because I know myself.... and if I had
a perfect kitchen
and new couches
and an enormous playroom for all the legos
and a 5 car garage with built-in organizers
and a stay-at-home husband
and a killer body
and a backyard with astroturf
and a "Best in Show" dog who never threw up green stuff
and a car that got 55 miles to the gallon
and so on and so forth..... then I WOULD be SATISFIED.

And, I would not be seeking God.

And for me, that could be dangerous. For you, maybe not so much. And I'm not implying that if you have these things you are somehow out of God's perfect and pleasing will. It's just for me, at this time in my life, it's almost (notice I said almost) humorous how no earthly thing can bring me complete satisfaction. Even relationships can disappoint. Even the most basic things on earth will never be able to totally satify. Thank the Lord. Because in the end, there is one thing that will truly complete us and bring us contentment: God Himself.

3 Wonderful Responses:

Anonymous said...

Love this...wowzers my friend, you're amazing...

momof4kr said...

LOVE this entry...what truth lies in everything you said. Only in Him and through Him, can we find TRUE satisfaction.

Anonymous said...

great!! i agree and find it so easy to relate, only i am still in the "bad place" thinking "when we get a new house...
THEN blah, blah, blah"...i needed to hear what you said! i knew God brought me here for just a few minutes for a reason! now, gotta go pick up the legos!...and laundry, etc. blessings!