New set of contacts and a new pair of binoculars

Have you ever wished for something you couldn't have? We all have at one time or another, but what happens when it's something you really can't have. Like being model tall instead of average height, or a different nose or longer legs, or the pounds to be distributed differently. Maybe it's not your body, but your house, your wardrobe, or the car you drive. If only you had ten times more money, then you'd have all you want!

What's wrong for wishing for what you can't have?

It can distort your vision as you become fixated on what you don't have, and fail to see what you do have. It can get scary and mess with your health or your relationships as you pursue quick fixes. At some point it can even become an obsession.

Right now I can't jet to Hawaii, I even worry about a trip to NC to visit. As a college student working for minimum wage its tough. But knowing that soon enough I will get to walk across the stage to receive my degree. Out of the view of the public Ill probably do a little dance and I hope my joy is contagious. I know the sacrifices wont end there for me. I start working off my tuition in an area that nurses don't make what I would if I moved somewhere else. But I'll be happy and live on a tight budget. And yet I'm sure I'll still feel rich with the contentment that I have found in the last year.

How do you avoid distorted vision? The first step is to change your focus. You may not be model tall, but are you healthy? Do you have a circle of friends, or a caring church? Did your child wrap their arms around your neck this morning? Has a friend walked with you through a difficult time? Has the presence of God wrapped around you in your quiet time?

The next step is to focus on others. Something happens when you take the time and energy and thought life previously devoted to your thighs or that beautiful house on the other side of town. You begin to see the needs of others. You find joy in generosity to others. You become others-centered.

Contentment becomes like a new set of contacts and a new pair binoculars. Our world expands as we see beyond ourselves and invite God into the picture. It becomes a spiritual act of grace, a work of God in our hearts as we give it all to Him.

Father, today I will not grumble. I will not compare myself to others. I will praise You for the blessings all around me, and Your song of praise will be the words of my mouth.