Gardens of Contentment

by Sue Donaldson

Spring has about sprung – I can tell by the gale winds galloping through our neighborhood. Time for a little gardening. Have you got the itch for digging in the dirt, planting a seed or seedling here and there, and figuring out your watering schedule?

Gardening takes work – it’s not just about all new gloves and a sun hat. We need to take care of what we plant. And the more we nurture the seed – just the right amount of sun and water and plant food – the better the results. We know this to be a fact. We don’t always follow through on our new Spring resolutions.

While walking down our street last week, Lisa and I were talking about contentment. (Women especially have difficulty in that area. I’m sure it started with Eve – she had a whole garden of other trees, for heaven’s sake…)

Lisa said that becoming more content takes cultivation – like gardening (she does more gardening than I do, so she was thinking in those terms) – but I got it. I knew that when I plant seeds of contentment – and take care of those seeds – my contentment grows.

Here’s what I came up with. Maybe you could make your own list of “seeds” that help you cultivate what God says is a good thing. “Godliness with contentment is great gain.” (I Timothy 6)

Planting Seeds of Contentment

10 Steps to Cultivate Contentment

It Starts and Ends with God!

-1-

Tell God Everything

Psalm 62:8

-2-

See Things His Way

I Timothy 6:6-19

-3-

First Things First

Matthew 6:33

-4-

Get a Team

Ecclesiastes 4: 9-12

-5-

You Matter

I Corinthians 6:19,20

-6-

Trust God’s Timing

Proverbs 3:5, 6

-7-

Press On

Philippians 3:12

-8-

List your Thankful’s

I Thessalonians 5:18

-9-

Be a Giver

Psalm 37: 25, 26

-10-

Get to Know Your God

Psalm 62:5-7

Maybe try out a “seed” a week for the next 10 weeks and see how your garden grows. When we harvest contentment, everyone benefits.

Dear Master Gardener,

Please help me plant your seeds of contentment. I need Your help every step of the way. Looking forward to lots of flowers this Spring! (I bet You are, too!)

Amen.