Here's To Contentment

                                                                                 Everyday is a brand new day, 
                                                                                  everyday is a journey.
 

Tis not to enjoy that we exist,
For that end only; something must be done;
I must not walk in unreproved delight
These narrow bounds, and think of nothing more,
No duty that looks further and no care.
--William Wordsworth

Contentment . . . . I've seen this word thrown around as a theme for this New Year. We need to be very careful when searching for contentment for ourselves. Can we truly be content? Is it even possible? Is it in us to be content? 

I think of the Israelites and their incessant complaining, immediately thinking of the correlation to our society. I don't think that total contentment is possible. Our hearts will always be longing for more. I believe that because of what occurred in the Garden of Eden, our hearts will always search for and long for Christ. Until the time where we stand before Him, only then will we ever feel contentment. That is only my personal belief.

Contentment is something we all are looking for and feel incomplete unless we find it. To me, it's the same as a couple looking for a perfect soulmate. Does it really exist? Most likely only in our minds. We as a people, constantly have this image of our ideal everything. Unless we attain these ideals, we will continue to search, feeling incomplete. 

Rather than searching for contentment, I look for Joy. Joy is something that can be fleeting, but it is attainable. I've learned to bask in Joy when it happens. The older I get, the more I enjoy my Joy and look forward to its return.

Yet, my feelings on the subject are really more personal than I realized. You see, I haven't made any goals nor any resolutions for this year. That hasn't happened in a very time. I just felt that I already had so much to do that ran over into this year. Why add more?

Sometimes, I think we need to spend more time in the now, then in the future achieving our goals. It's great to work on ourselves, setting up plans, but we can get lost in all of it. The most precious gift of all? The here and now. Let's enjoy it. Contentment will come when we come face to face with Jesus. Only then. For now, look for Joy.

Have a blessed day everyone.