In life there are always two sides to a story.
It's all based on perception. 3 people see the same event from different angles. Depending on their view and possibly what's in their line of sight, they may all see the event differently. We as humans are not all-knowing or all-seeing, therefore, it is impossible for us to focus on more than one thing. The visual in my mind is a car wreck. One person sees the front car slam on their brakes to avoid a dog running across the street. The next person can't see the dog for the tree and only sees the second car looking at their phone. The third person had their back to the accident and only heard the sound of crushing metal. At the end of the day, each person may conclude a different car is at fault.
We only see the picture before us. No more. No less. We make assumptions and conclusions based on such a small viewpoint that we have of our lives and of others' lives.
Case in point: As I have talked about on my blog in the past, my senior year of high school was traumatic to say the least. The church I grew up in changed. People changed. Those who I once thought loved me and cared about me and wanted to help me were the exact ones tearing me down, accusing me, and making me never want to step foot in a church again. So it was definitely a more general attack of one half of the church against the other. But let's face it. It felt personal. It felt like a knife had been put in my back. I was angry. I could not understand why all these bad things were happening. I could only see that single isolated part of the story.
Now I look back and see how God used that experience to strengthen my walk with Him. He used it to give me a greater appreciation for His Church and what it's supposed to look like. He taught me how to forgive. how to love when it's not deserved. how to be a friend. how to keep my mouth shut. how to speak up. how to move on from a particularly difficult season.
Do you think for a second that I was content during that season? I wasn't.
Do you think for a second that I would've chosen that for my self? I wouldn't.
But am I so thankful for that growth in my life and all that God taught me. Contentment is God-given, but it's also a choice. God offers us contentment in whatever season of life we are in and whatever circumstance we have found ourselves in, but it is up to us to choose to find our contentment in Him and His story for our lives.
I choose contentment. Why? Because I know God is writing my story for His glory. I gave up the stage a long time ago, and it is time to release creative control and find contentment in the story God has given me. I cannot forget that the story He has written is going to far surpass my imagination and bring everything full circle for His glory.
I choose His story for me. I choose contentment in the story He is writing. I choose to find my contentment in the Giver not myself.
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{This series is a part of a writing challenge given by the nester, Myquillyn Smith, to write for 31 Days. You can check the write31days website out here and enjoy hundreds of other bloggers joining together for this challenge. My posts are a part of my personal topic choice of 31 Days of Contentment, and you can find the link for the entire series here.}
It's all based on perception. 3 people see the same event from different angles. Depending on their view and possibly what's in their line of sight, they may all see the event differently. We as humans are not all-knowing or all-seeing, therefore, it is impossible for us to focus on more than one thing. The visual in my mind is a car wreck. One person sees the front car slam on their brakes to avoid a dog running across the street. The next person can't see the dog for the tree and only sees the second car looking at their phone. The third person had their back to the accident and only heard the sound of crushing metal. At the end of the day, each person may conclude a different car is at fault.
We only see the picture before us. No more. No less. We make assumptions and conclusions based on such a small viewpoint that we have of our lives and of others' lives.
Case in point: As I have talked about on my blog in the past, my senior year of high school was traumatic to say the least. The church I grew up in changed. People changed. Those who I once thought loved me and cared about me and wanted to help me were the exact ones tearing me down, accusing me, and making me never want to step foot in a church again. So it was definitely a more general attack of one half of the church against the other. But let's face it. It felt personal. It felt like a knife had been put in my back. I was angry. I could not understand why all these bad things were happening. I could only see that single isolated part of the story.
Now I look back and see how God used that experience to strengthen my walk with Him. He used it to give me a greater appreciation for His Church and what it's supposed to look like. He taught me how to forgive. how to love when it's not deserved. how to be a friend. how to keep my mouth shut. how to speak up. how to move on from a particularly difficult season.
Do you think for a second that I was content during that season? I wasn't.
Do you think for a second that I would've chosen that for my self? I wouldn't.
But am I so thankful for that growth in my life and all that God taught me. Contentment is God-given, but it's also a choice. God offers us contentment in whatever season of life we are in and whatever circumstance we have found ourselves in, but it is up to us to choose to find our contentment in Him and His story for our lives.
I choose His story for me. I choose contentment in the story He is writing. I choose to find my contentment in the Giver not myself.
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{This series is a part of a writing challenge given by the nester, Myquillyn Smith, to write for 31 Days. You can check the write31days website out here and enjoy hundreds of other bloggers joining together for this challenge. My posts are a part of my personal topic choice of 31 Days of Contentment, and you can find the link for the entire series here.}