I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

Philippians 4:11-13

Tuesday afternoon, both because the temperatures have retreated back to the mid-80’s and my mother had been asking for an outing, I picked her up and we drove to the Wake Forest Presbyterian prayer garden.

We had been talking about my dad’s rose bush, planted Palm Sunday (you can see photographs here) and mum wanted to visit. We knew it was unlikely anything would be in bloom and that was okay, the garden is just a nice place to see so off we went.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t one of mum’s better days and she was unable to enjoy any of the outing. However, and this is the real point of this post, I am glad we did it anyway, because life goes on and I believe one of our most important mandates is that of simply showing up.

The applications of this principle are widespread. The fabric that holds us together – our lives, our faith, our relationships, our churches, our communities, our democracy – is made out of our commitments, and the thousands of small decisions we make from moment to moment that – every one of them – are votes either for or against life.

We are not secure, or content, or happy, or engaged with life because circumstances always fall our way, or because the things that happen are easy, or everything is to our liking, or we “feel good”, or we get exactly what we want…. No, we are blessed to the extent that we honor these commitments (family, church, friends, community, democracy etc.), and to the extent that we are thankful and cooperative and encouraging of others and full with grace.

Our responsibility leans toward commitment…

If you want (if we want… if any one of us wants) life that is meaningful and relationships that work and a nation that doesn’t fall apart then our responsibility is more loaded in the direction of giving and extending grace and support and showing up than it is in getting exactly what we want.

When Paul wrote “I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation” he was 100% on board with the vision of Jesus, who encouraged us to “seek first [God’s] kingdom and righteousness…”

Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Matthew 6:25-34

That’s all I have for today. Now I just need to put it all into practice – DEREK