Another Thought on Contentment

As soon as the party decorations are put away you begin to think about holiday presents. You plan, you purchase, you knit, you sew, you paint. Just the right colors for each person. A tailor fit. You pray over it, you lovingly wrap it, you choose the most extravagant bow. You even top it with trinkets and trappings to delight the eye. You wait with baited breath.

Your beautifully wrapped present waits for its recipient to lovingly unwrap it. You watch and hope they like it. They take it out of the package, examine it quickly and put it to the side, you think might have heard a meager "thank you" but you can't be sure. The recipient is already on to the next package and when their enormous pile of gifts has been opened they say "What else is there? I didn't get exactly what I wanted. I asked for a pink whatchamajig."

And so it is with our Heavenly Father as he prepares all season long for the next season. A red Maple for you, a yellow Birch for him, an Autumn Purple Ash for me. Amber-colored pumpkins decorate the field like polka dots while emerald green squash becomes our dinner. And yet we say "What happened to the warm weather? It's only 79 days until Christmas! I can't wait until it's spring." We are like greedy little children on Christmas morning, always wanting more, never quite satisfied enough.

Fall is my favorite season. It begs us to slow down, cook slower meals, snuggle under the covers for a few extra minutes. It is gloriously beautiful, aren't they all? Take some time today to slow down and enjoy the beautiful gift God made for us. Linger over a piece of pumpkin pie and a steaming cup of chai. Be content with where you are at exactly the time you are. It's a gift.