While I go to the salon to have my eyebrows threaded, I love chatting with the sweet lady who does them for me. Our last conversation revolved around our plans for the holidays. After I shared how I would be visiting with each side of my family, I asked her what she would be doing. Her response was, “It’s nice that you have family here, but I don’t. It’s just my husband, my son, and my husband’s parents. So we won’t be doing anything.”
I could hear the disappointment in her voice. When she was done threading, I asked her if I could show her a picture that was on my phone. (Just that morning, a memory from nine years ago had popped up on my phone and I knew it was meant for this moment.)
I showed her the photo of my family of five celebrating Thanksgiving … just the five of us. The table was set with place settings and every side dish you can think of to accompany the main dish filled the table … for just the five of us.
I explained to her how grandparents, uncles, aunts, and cousins didn’t always live nearby us. In fact, after being accustomed to LARGE family gatherings for the holidays in New York, we were faced with a major decision once we settled in Texas. Would we discard the tradition and grieve what we did not have or would we continue this tradition and make the best of what we had?
The picture demonstrated that we had decided to go with the latter. The smiles on our faces indicated that we were filled with joy. Did we miss our whole entire family? Yes! Did we wish it could be different? Of course! But were we content? You’d better believe it! We knew that the Lord was with us, that He loved us, and that His care for us was immeasurable.
When reading the book of Ruth, we see how she was faced with a decision to be content or not. She suddenly became a widow and found herself moving with her mother-in-law to a foreign nation. I can only imagine how her heart was sad from losing her husband and leaving all that was familiar. Yet, we read how she made the best of the situation by working diligently to support her little family and just loving on her mother-in-law.
When reading Acts 16, we see how Paul and Silas were also faced with a decision to be content or not. They were imprisoned for casting a demonic spirit out of a girl. Perhaps they wondered why they were being punished for doing the Lord’s work. But we read how they made the best of this situation by praying and singing to God.
Dear Friend, I don’t know what loss you are grieving today. Perhaps you find yourself unexpectedly unemployed. Maybe you are distant from loved ones, physically or emotionally. Whatever it is, I’m so deeply sorry because I can only imagine how difficult and saddening it must be for you.
But may I encourage you from the words of Paul in The Message version of Philippians 4:11-14: “I’ve learned by now to be quite content whatever my circumstances. I’m just as happy with little as with much, with much as with little. I’ve found the recipe for being happy whether full or hungry, hands full or hands empty. Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am.”
~Joyce
