Peppers, Cucumbers & Contentment

I heard a great story from Mac after the service yesterday.  I wanted to share it here because it was such an awesome picture.

Mac planted a small garden at his house this year and just this week was excited to see how it was developing.  The bell peppers had blossomed and you could see the small little peppers just beginning to appear.  The same with the cucumbers.  Small little cukes were showing themselves.  Mac was feeling good.  So just a day or two ago Mac started his morning sitting with his coffee and reflecting on how thankful he was to God for bringing him and his family to the woods of Maine.  Mac had lived in the city in California, and he was rejoicing that now he could live out in the woods of Maine.  His heart was full of thankfulness to God for the quiet beauty and pace of life in Weld.  Than Mac went out to check on his garden.  There were the deer tracks around the garden and there were the stumps of the pepper and cucumber plants, chewed down to the bottom of the stalk.  All gone.   Now Mac's heart was filled with frustration and anger.  Time to open the property to the hunters this fall.  How dare those deer destroy his plants!?  Then Mac paused and had to laugh at himself.  How quickly he had left behind the thankful attitude toward God for moving him out into the woods.  Of course, those were God's deer and God knew perfectly well that they were going to eat Mac's garden.  God had allowed it.

Mac relayed that story to me after church yesterday as we discussed the sermon on idols and the things that we put our faith and energy into.  How quickly we can shift our focus off of God when things don't go the way we think they should.  The Bible says that godliness is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment.  Contentment is not merely being happy when things are going your way.  Contentment is being a peace with whatever way things are going.

What are the deer in your garden?  What things has God allowed to come into your life that you allow to destroy a spirit of thankfulness and contentment?  I find that I have too many deer myself.  Too many things that get me in a bad mood and keep me from appreciating all that God is doing.

Mac's story reminded me of Jonah, who got upset over a worm that ate a favored plant, but had no compassion for a city full of lost people.  A good reminder to all of us of where our priorities lie.  Thank you Mac for letting me use your story today on the blog.