This weekend we went to Vermont to unwind. Stephen and Matt went fly fishing one afternoon and had a great time. It reminded me of a story a friend told me recently.

There was a man who was fishing who caught a good sized fish. A businessman walked by and said, “Nice fish. Aren’t you going to catch more?”

The fisherman said, “No, this is enough for me and my family.”

The businessman then said, “but if you catch another one, you can sell it and make money.”

The fisherman replied, “I am content with what I have.”

The businessman continued, “If you catch more fish like this one, you can sell them and start a business.”

The fisherman said, “and then do what?”

The businessman said, “then you can have people fish for you while you run the business. Your business can grow and then when you’re ready, you can sell it for a lot of money and retire.”

The fisherman looked at the businessman and said, “and then do what?”

The businessman said, “then you can relax with your family, take a nap in the middle of the day, you can spend time with your friends and do what you love to do.”

The fisherman replied, “but I am already doing that now.”

When my friend shared this story with me, it reminded me of something that is easy to forget, that contentment is not found in striving for more. It is found when we have gratitude for what we already have and recognizing that it is enough.

I invite you to join me to…

pause. breathe. pray.

May we take a moment to be still and feel our feet upon the ground. May we notice what we already have and give thanks for it. May we stop chasing after things we don’t need and instead seek God and His Word allowing Him to grow contentment in our hearts, right where we are today.

With love and hope,
Shawn

…for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances…
-Philippians 4:11