Contentment

I'm learning that life doesn't always look like you thought it would. That you'll be in situations that you never dreamed you'd be in. My dear friend Laurin and I have been discussing this as of late. CONTENTMENT. How do you be content no matter what your circumstances are in life?

How can you be content when life doesn't look like you'd thought it would?

My husband---Randy. This is a picture of what his life is like day in and day out right now. And he (nor I) ever thought life would look like this. He is a holder of a masters degree in divinity, wrote a 160 page book, and is now a stay at home dad/part time hood exhaust cleaner. And we are being real and not hiding the fact that our apartment is more often than not a complete wreck...we have no space for toys...toys live in our living room. We try to creatively organize, but that is destroyed the minute children get up in the morning. This is our life.

We never thought that Randy would be the one staying home with our kids. Frankly it is difficult most of the time. Randy deeply desires to be employed in a job that can provide for our family. But it hasn't happened yet. I don't know if it will happen anytime soon. He takes care of our kids during the day while I go to work and he works 1-3 nights/week cleaning hoods...usually getting in around 2 or 3am and getting up with our earliest riser anywhere from 8am-9:30am...
He is currently working on potty training Rody
And spends much of his day cooing at our darling daughter...receiving all her precious smiles. I would rather be the one doing this. I want to see the smiles at 11:30 in the morning. But, I don't. How do I accept this and remain content?

I don't mean for this post to be a downer. I am simply in a seeking/searching mode. Randy and I did not envision this when we got married. We are going on our 5th anniversary, still live in the same 2 bedroom apartment, have 2 children, and one main job. Life wasn't exactly supposed to look like this. Randy was supposed to get a good job...maybe 2 jobs to make it work...we were supposed to live closer to some of our family...we were supposed to be in a starter home by now...I was supposed to be joining a MOPS group or something...maybe leading a ladies Bible study...but our life looks nothing like this...

I am truly trying to live in my moment...be content no matter my circumstances because I truly have so much to be thankful for. Randy is an incredible dad...he is so good with the kids...he is playful, loving, and has good boundries with discipline...our kids do not have to go to daycare...I have a job at an incredible school and love what I do...I get about 15 weeks off/year...our kids are healthy and precious...we are currently paying off a lot of debt (cars, etc...) and are seeing the light at the end of the tunnel....(and I'm adding this since I first posted...) Why is it that so many times the grass seems greener? For example, the single, successful, has her own money and can do what she wants girl, desperately wants to be married and a mom....or the SAHM who loves her kids/family desperately wishes for a brief stint in her world where she didn't have so much responsibility? It is just wanting what we don't have? Or is it something deeper?? I don't know...just pondering these things...I am certain that God has apportioned our lots...that He is a giver of good things, blessings, and has a plan for us...just the plan wasn't supposed to look like this..

At the end of the day, I get to come home and hug my babies tight knowing that they have been cared for by their daddy all day. How many dads get to do this? I'm sure most dads once their children are grown wish that they could go back in time to when they were little and get to do it over...Randy is getting so much quality time in with them...

I'm learning to be content...living in my now...while praying for our hearts desire...that Randy would get a job that fulfills him and provides for our family....for community to surround us...to be closer to our families...for me to stay at home or work part time...would you pray with us too?