Being Content With Being Content.

Let me share a truth nugget that I've been learning over the past few weeks {and probably all throughout my life, but I'm just seeing it more clearly now}.

Being content. "Can I get a definition please?" Yup.

Content - adjective: satisfied with what one is or has; not wanting more or anything else.

I had mentioned in a previous post that "[w]hen God is teaching me something, He tends to make that very evident to me through various examples everywhere I go". I'm pretty sure that when teaching me something, He wants to be sure I really get it; He wants to confirm that I truly comprehend what He's trying to drill into my skull.

Moving back to my parent's house for the summer may mean no more hours spent sitting in a classroom for four months, but what it does mean is more hours than normal spent at work for four months.

Ugh.

Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy my job, but knowing that it's not something I want to be doing for the rest of my life has left me feeling a bit blasé about the whole thing lately. So when an announcement showed up in the bulletin at my church one Sunday about a summer student job opportunity right there at the church, I jumped at it.
Weeeeeeellll... Okay, not really. My friends had to tease me and feel convictions on my behalf before I finally thought I'd go for it.

But during the time of teasing from my friends is exactly when God was working in me.

The Sunday that the announcement was first in the bulletin was the same Sunday that a guest speaker was doing the sermon at my church. He was a missionary, so naturally he was talking about getting out of our comfort zones by trying a new volunteer position, new workplace, or maybe even moving somewhere completely foreign. Something he said that jumped out at me was:

"The name in the top left corner of your paycheck may change over the years, but the One you're truly working for is always the same."

Since I was hesitant about that summer job opportunity at my church, after that sermon is when my friends jokingly asked me if I felt that the speaker was talking to me when he talked about trying something new. My immediate reaction was no; I had felt that what the speaker said that jumped out at me was a reminder that I need to be content with the job that I have right now because ultimately I'm working for the Lord. I may not be getting as many hours as I want at my job, but that's not what really matters.

While I thought that that quote from the speaker was interesting, I quickly forgot about being content where I'm working, and the fact that I'm ultimately working for God. I decided to take up the opportunity for the summer student job at my church because I'd have consistent hours, the pay was good, and I mean, anything would be better than my job now, right?

Wrong. I didn't even get the summer student position at my church.

Despite how indecisive I had initially been, I still felt a fair amount of disappointment when I didn't get that job. I quickly realized however, that maybe I didn't get the job because God was still waiting for me to be content right where I'm at, because I very clearly wasn't. The other day someone asked me if I like my job, and I even surprised myself, and am ashamed that my hasty response was, "no, I don't". A day later I was reflecting on that with my mom, and saying that while I may wish that I had more hours, I have a lot to be thankful for at my job!

1. I'm not being mistreated by my employer
2. I get along quite well with my co-workers
3. I have consistency in my role at work -- I always know what's expected of me
4. I had a job to come home to when the school year ended, instead of having to go out on the ol' summer job search that every university student dreads

God is so good at gently {and repeatedly} reminding me to be satisfied with what I have, and not desiring anything more. I'm learning to appreciate my job with the thought in mind that it is ultimately the Lord for whom I'm doing my work.