Be Content With the Present

I've just finished watching "Sound of Music" for the umpteenth-hundredth time. It's such a good movie and I enjoy watching it every single time. I sing along with the lyrics, still get frustrated with the baronness and still find it inspiring. When I was younger, I always had to go to bed right around the time when they do the concert and escape so it wasn't until my late teens when I was able to watch the whole movie and see the ending. I remember one time when we were watching it as a family and one of the older teen guys from church came around and said, "Oh are you watching that movie again?!" but he had never seen it before so sat and watched it, asking lots of questions about what happened next. It still makes me smile to think of that.

Today didn't turn out how I had planned but it was even better. When I wrote, "I need a job" on my last blog post, it was an afterthought but also something that I have been praying for. My friend Sharyn turned up early this morning (before 8am) so that we could work on my assignment together which involves me doing a role play and recording it. While she made herself a cuppa, I tried on my new dress for her so she admired it and we discussed plans for the day which included shopping after study. The phone rang at 8:30am and not expecting it to be a telemarketer, I answered.

The principal was calling to see if I could work for the day and Sharyn told me to go. She laughed and said it would help pay for the dress and we could work on the assignment next Friday. When I got to the school, the office lady was happy to see me and chatted for a bit, then I went and found the principal who was doing PE with my class for the day.  He had stopped the children in his group and they were all watching me coming towards them. As I got closer, he counted to three, then they all said good morning to me. He turned to me and said, "I'm so glad to see you Actually, it's always good to see you!" It was a very welcoming greeting and I so enjoy being there. It's a great atmosphere to work in and I had a good day. At the end of the day, I was about to leave when I saw the business manager and she was excited to see me. It seems I always get on well with the business managers. She and I chatted for a while and when I called Sharyn after work, I told her how much socialising I had done just after I had recognised my 'need' to socialise more.

During the day, the principal asked me if I'd be willing to work some more days this term and he seemed grateful when I said yes. There was one day that he wanted to me to work but as I had other plans, he changed it to suit me. I always love it when schools are willing to change their timetable around just so that it works for me, too. Next week I have two days of work which means I have 2 other days for study and another day to get a roadworthy for my car so I can change the licence plates and I will also need to change my licence.

Again, I just have to admit how amazing God is. He supplies all my needs at the perfect time. I think of a verse that I once read when I was doubting that and it's from Proverbs 31:25 "She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come." I do laugh when things that I have been worrying about fall into place so perfectly and then I wonder why I even doubted in the first place. God is good. All the time.

Sometimes I wonder about my life and what it looks like and what I think it should look like. The unknown frustrates me and I wish that everything could be perfect... what I think 'perfect' or even just 'normal' looks like. I get caught up in chasing things that I think would 'complete' my life and get disappointed when it doesn't turn out how I think it should. Yesterday I read the following quote:

What messes our life up most -- is this EXPECTATION of what our life is SUPPOSED to look like.

I read that and thought how true that is and I am sure I'm not the only one who thinks like that. We are bombarded with messages from movies, books, others (including friends, colleagues, churches), media, telling us what our lives should like; Have the perfect body, the lastest trends in clothing, success in marriage, the sleek, speedy car, money for your every need and whim. We get caught up trying to 'fulfill' those expectations and when we don't make the mark, we get discouraged, disappointed and sometimes see ourselves as failures. I know that when I am striving to achieve my dreams and goals, I forget to be content with what I have and forget just to enjoy the present. The life that I am living now is what it is supposed to be for today and I need to make the most of each day that I have, doing my best and enjoying the many privileges and blessings I have. Yes, that includes doing my best even in my studies and I am so very grateful for the life I have right now.