Pious christians often toss this out when things aren't quite as they seem. I've probably done some tossing in my time.
Now I'm struggling to be content despite a good marriage, incredible daughter, a move to a simple lifestyle, a cottage over looking the sea, today taken care of, friends who know and love me. I have an inkling it has something to do with the 'good works that Christ has prepared in advance for me to do'. I don't know what they are which makes contentment a struggle, for me.
One of the invitations is to identify and hold my boundaries. What are the things I am going to do over the holiday season that I want to build and guard? Regular exercise, contemplation, creativity, meaningful friendship time, making time to seek the 'good works'. If I know my 'good works', nurture them, honour them, perhaps I will invite contentment.
Sunday 11 December 2011
Monday 5 December 2011
The Apprentice, but Donald Trump is nowhere in sight (thank goodness)
My husband bakes bread in his 'other life'. He returned to his passion of artisan bread-baking about a year ago and now his passion has become volunteering in a local bakery three times a week. "I'm an apprentice", he said to me this morning.
My response is interesting. I love that word, it could be so many things. So on a scale of possibilities is it:
- how can he be volunteering when he needs to bring home the bacon (although in this case, he brings home loaves of delicious artisan bread)?
- what does this volunteering mean for our other business?
- I'm left with the childcare and housework?
- he wakes me up at 4:30 am when he leaves for his shift?
- volunteer = hero?
- he gets to make new connections in the village we have just moved to while I'm at home?
If I'm honest with myself, there might be a smattering of truth in the above, but actually it's revealed my lack of personal passion. It's revealed how few boundaries I have around what I really want to do. In fact, what do I really want?
What do I want to be an Apprentice at? Maybe I don't need to be an Apprentice, perhaps I'm already qualified. I just have to nail it down and draw some boundaries around it.
My response is interesting. I love that word, it could be so many things. So on a scale of possibilities is it:
- how can he be volunteering when he needs to bring home the bacon (although in this case, he brings home loaves of delicious artisan bread)?
- what does this volunteering mean for our other business?
- I'm left with the childcare and housework?
- he wakes me up at 4:30 am when he leaves for his shift?
- volunteer = hero?
- he gets to make new connections in the village we have just moved to while I'm at home?
If I'm honest with myself, there might be a smattering of truth in the above, but actually it's revealed my lack of personal passion. It's revealed how few boundaries I have around what I really want to do. In fact, what do I really want?
What do I want to be an Apprentice at? Maybe I don't need to be an Apprentice, perhaps I'm already qualified. I just have to nail it down and draw some boundaries around it.
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