Something to think about

I just started rereading Linda Dillow's book, "Calm my Anxious Heart". She starts off with the issue of contentment - just what I needed to hear. In the first few pages, she includes a list of her friend's mom, who was a missionary in Africe for 52 years.

Her "perscription for contentment":
*Never allow yourself to complain about anything - not even the weather.
*Never picture yourself in any other circumstances or someplace else.
*Never compare your lot with another's.
*Never allow yourself to with this or that had been otherwise.
*Never dwell on tomorrow - remember that [tomorrow] is God's not ours.

I'm tempted to tatoo these, along with some corresponding scripture on my forehead, or paint them on my walls, etch them into the bathroom mirror. Oh, how I struggle with each of these things. Especially not complaining, even about the weather!

Along our journey, we've heard stories about how missionaries used to pack all of their belongings into a wood coffin becuase their chances of surviving life in some of the dark places where the Gospel needed to go was pretty slim. And deep down in me I want to be that kind of follower, but I cling so tightly to what I feel like are my rights.

Pray for me as I try and rid myself of the mindset of clinging to my rights. My new prayer for myself is Philippians 2:5-8
Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
Who being in very nature of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing; taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death - even death on a cross!

I want to obey even if it means giving things up that I don't think I possibly can. I want to be content in that too, not just walk around feeling like a martyr.

I am preaching to myself becuase I just flipped out the other day worrying about the tomorrows that are God's and not mine and feeling like it isn't fair that I have to deal with the things I am dealing with here. Worrying about the kids, worrying about never fitting in here, worrying about trying to establish a routine that works between me, the kids, and 2 house girls and a husband who has a schedule that can hardly be considered a schedule at all, worrying about our finances, feeling crazy becuase there are about 3 hours in the whole month where I am actually alone - by myself with no one around, feeling guilty about not being a more loving and creative mom and then to top that off, have 2 girls in my house watching me 5 days a week, as I feel like I fail every day, and on and on.

Yes, sin gets me down good and I certainly get caught up in it becuase it is so much easier that going to battle. A friend wrote and told us that he would be praying for us to take our thoughts captive and making them obedient to Christ as we deal with our struggles here. Thanks for the reminder...I needed it this week.