I could be out driving and shooting the beautiful clouds and the sunset in the distance, but for now I am content to walk and just be out and walking through civilization – my feet traveling faster than significantly more capable cars enduring heavy traffic in the main Highway, my body maneuvering through construction sites established to improve drainage in said highway, left alone for now by water district workers who I’m assuming are out for the Holidays…
As I walk I’m seeing and appreciate the colors of the sky transitioning from afternoon to evening, and I’m thinking I really could be out there; and by ‘out’, I mean more than I’m actually out right now, more than out on my feet, but in the car and driving to a spot more suitable to view and appreciate the sun setting, camera and lenses at the ready… But for now, I am content. I ask myself, am I forcing myself to be content? Maybe. But no matter how natural this may or may not be, I do know that if not for all this walking I wouldn’t come to the realization that I can be content, independent of if I’m walking or driving – I can be content by merely existing in this moment, realizing that it is one out of many moments, one out of many sunsets I’ve existed through… And this here is a contentment which I’m seeing requires far less effort and equipment, but one I surmise has far more returns.
I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity. Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
Philippians 4:10-13
I guess you can find it funny that I say I have this sense of content, on the day after Christmas. What with all we’ve been thinking about and writing about – regarding trust and thankfulness – I suppose if you’d let a mind exposed to these sorts of thought out to wander, it’d eventually arrive at contentment. It’d find itself in a certain level of peace. And this peace seems to be legit because right now it does feel like a peace – THE Peace that remains beyond all implied anxiety, and beyond all the tragedy we see around us; Peace beyond our control, and, yes, peace beyond our understanding.
In the most recent of my ramblings, I have been meditating on how you can’t talk about trust without thankfulness, and you couldn’t talk about thankfulness without trust; Literally a couple of hours ago, we’ve also established that we couldn’t talk about trusting God without being aware of His presence (that is, being aware of His name, honor, character, and authority), just as we automatically talk about trusting God (and ‘all’ of Him) when we bring ourselves to be aware of His presence.
And while a Psalmist somewhere mentions that in His presence is fullness of joy (Psalm 16:11 to be precise), I guess, in today’s walk, we understand that His presence is also not without contentment, not without peace.
While I’m at it, I suppose I should also add something I’ve thought about some years before. I mean, we’re talking about peace, and I mentioned somewhere that peace is power in all circumstances, just as power is peace in all circumstances.
Peace. Power. Contentment. Presence. Trust. Thankfulness. These are buzzwords of what religion pressures us to have through rituals and rites, ultimately through our own strength independent of God; but I’m slowly learning that these are the true blessings which Christ paid such a great price for us to have. Take note that I believe these blessings are infinitely superior to the blessings we seem to make the rest of the body of Christ believe is guaranteed – that is, the money, influence, fame, provision, physical health, and ultimately alleviation or an elevation of our circumstances in this reality. No, these seem to be the unseen things that are heavenly, and we can rely on no less than Christ – heaven born on earth, God born as man, only He can bless us with true blessings… because He HIMSELF is the blessing.
When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things in subjection under him, that God may be all in all.
1 Corinthians 15:28
He is true to His name: He is Emmanuel, God With Us – And while we can see said buzzwords as traits, the Truth of the matter is that it’s Christ HIMSELF who is our All in All… what does this mean? HE is our Peace. HE is our Power. HE is our Contentment. HE is our Presence. HE is our Trust. HE is our Gratitude.
Beyond the items I’ve yet to check out in my online shopping carts, or in my mental list of things I want, Christ HIMSELF fulfills the true desire of my being – He HIMSELF is who I really want, beyond what I say or insist I want. It’s my prayer that we all come to this realization of Christ being our all in all, in our own way.
I’ve wanted to share this with my December Thoughts, but I think this can stand on its own. It’s all in the process of me trying to figure out what I want for the congregation placed under my trust, in this coming 2024.
Also, yes, I’m more or less aware that I probably won’t be able to hit 365000 words by the end of the year… but here I am, trying. Just taking down all my thoughts, refining all existing thoughts, let me just remind you, dear reader, much as I am reminding myself – all of this is certainly not just for the word count, but it is for the original purpose, the original reasons why I write – to clarify, and to unload. Believe it or not, I DO have a lot to unload, and much more to clarify. I think I’m honoring my almost 40-year old brain by doing this.
Anyway, thank you for your longsuffering, and thank you for making it this far. More to come, very soon. Until the next post, God bless you.
317457/365000
#Contentment #Peace #JesusChrist #2024Theme #Bible #Gospel #YearOfMovement #ChristOurAnswer #Emmanuel #Gratitude #MinistryJourney #Trustgiving #Thanksgiving #Reflections
JB's Personal Brain Defragmenter 
Leave a comment