Today another door shut on a job opportunity. We have prayed that God closes every door that isn’t meant for us and we meant it but to say it isn’t hard would be lying. In some ways you feel like you need to grieve after every no.

Contentment isn’t easy, is it? Especially in the midst of trial! Trusting in the unknown, being content where God has us even when it is not comfortable. The words above were written on a blog post in 2009 after waiting almost a whole year for my husband to get a new job. He had been with the same company for 11 yrs before the company sold and let people go. It was a time where we were walking in the unknown, not sure where our future was going.

Waiting for God can sometimes be VERY difficult. It can be scary and it can cause panic. In our flesh we want answers and we don't want to wait too long for them. However God often grows us the most while we are waiting. I look back during that time and see the amazing hand of God. We saw miracle after miracle in our lives. We saw unexpected money show up (in some cases big amounts), we saw Christmas presents under our tree when that seemed impossible. It was a time of feeling God's presence like we had never before. These gifts came because we became content during our wait. Please don't misunderstand. We struggled at times, the tears flowed often, and we questioned if we were on the track God had for us more then we could count but despite all of that we trusted anyway. We knew we were in the hands of an all knowing loving God!

If we only have faith when the answers are there or when they come quickly, we don't have much faith. Faith is truly trusting when we can not see. There were days I was so excited about what God was going to do next. A wise woman told me once during that time. Enjoy this, really enjoy it! This is when God really shows up and when you really grow. Enjoy being jobless? Really? Yes, enjoy the waiting, God is going to do something amazing in it!

Maybe YOU'RE waiting on that job, or that marriage, or that child, or any other thing that seems to be hopeless. The secret to true happiness is contentment. It is much easier to be content when things are going our way and much harder when they are not.

I LOVE what Paul says in Philippians 4:12-13

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 everything through him who gives me strength.

Lord, teach me to be content EVEN in the midst of waiting for YOUR answer!

Blessings, Angela