I Timothy 6:6 in action

Today I am studying.

I have a speaking engagement in less than a month.

I HAVE been studying for weeks, months now, listening to what God is saying, when He lights a scripture passage to my eye and when my littles teach me an invaluable lesson.

Now I am attempting to grab all of these scattergrammed thoughts and compress them for a group of ladies who have quite possibly (gulp) paid to attend and hear…..me.

And I want them to hear Him.

And today I am studying.

I am observing why He loves, how He loves, how it changes us, how the world is made just for us to have communion with Him.

And my observations lead me to Mrs. F.

She is a farmers wife. She tells me she has never been one for fancies and fruveloughs. She always covers her mouth when she laughs, which is too cute for words. She always wears boots and bright socks with her culottes, and donnes a smock all day as she works among the flower beds and such outside.

The farm equipment is rusting. The front door is held open with a tack and an old piece of clothing elastic. The flowers in a huge bush cluster almost cover her front door and she is always cutting and offering them to whomever wants them. They are precious like her and it is amazing to her that many folks take clippings and can never get the flowers to grow like she can, and smiles at me telling me it must be the soil.

I smile back, knowing it is indeed the soil. The rich soil of a heart overflowing with gratitude.

I thankful, refuse a clipping, telling her that I will take some sometime.

When the soil is ready for planting.

We drink from mismatched cups, and she talks about nothing in particular, and I tell her I aim for her calmness.

She covers her mouth and giggles.

It is so contagious that I giggle too.

And the sun warms on us and the flowers smell deliciously lovely and I am thankful for this moment.

Her daughter is recently married, and I look at Mrs. F’s wedding set on her left hand and cannot even see a stone among a square setting.

My own set seems too big all of a sudden.

As she motions with her hand the engagement ring slides slowly around her finger and I wonder if she has ever wanted more.

Has she ever wanted a bigger stone?

A bigger house?

Matching cups and plates?

And when I tease that now that their only child is married they should take a grand vacation, to Hawaii perhaps, she giggles, hand over mouth.

“No.” she tells me in more of a sigh than a sentence.

And then without warning she continues,

“I would never want to be anywhere but here.”

Here, I think?

Here. I understand.

“I’m content here.”

And with that I am overcome. She IS content. Content to reuse paper, stickers, string and elastic.

Content to walk slowly, giggle often, be still, do what is needful, and relish the moment of a fine afternoon.

Content to let the world go by, the roof get old and squeaky, and see God in finding a new place to store the hay wagon.

And I smile and go on my way to my busy busy life and without warning it sneaks up on me…..

Envy.

And she turns to tend the flowers.

But godliness with contentment is great gain. I Timothy 6:6