Thankfulness and Contentment

So to play off of my “New eyes” post, I thought it would be good to compile something of a quick-ish list of things I’m thankful and grateful for so here you go:

I’m really (and surprisingly) pretty healthy. I’m rarely sick and these days and the fact I got through almost three years at my current job without taking a sick day says something to that. Or my Protestant work ethic is out of control

In this terrible economy I have a job that’s not going anywhere anytime soon.

I live in a huge house with a really cool roommate and have about the best landlord ever (note: future blog post). We just need a roommate who will commit and stay that way.

Despite carrying some debt (who doesn’t these days?) I’m at a fairly secure financial position and even have a few coins tucked away for when I can convince a woman to have me. That or I’ve started with a nice bit set aside for retirement. Whatever.

Best…cats…ever (except at 5:00 in the morning when I’m trying to sleep).

I have a really cool, diverse, loving and supportive group of friends who all seem to like me even after getting to know me. That’s what friends are for ; )

I’m a member at two different Christian communities, where I’m fairly active in both, that have helped to be rocks of mine in times of trouble and have also celebrated in times of joy.

I’m at a place where I’ve been able to cultivate my passions be them musical, community related, service oriented, or activity based.

My horrible basketball team just got the #1 pick in the draft next month. HEY, not everything I’m thankful for is extremely profound.

I’m pretty much busy every night/weekend with something going on in my life and am most certainly not sitting around waiting for life to happen to me.

My car runs like a dream (even after 7 years and over 100,000 miles on it). I think that’s because it runs on magic and pure happiness (is he joking? Yes.).

Oh and I could go on, to be honest but I think you get the point. Overall, things are good and I’m glad I’m doing a better job these days at focusing on what I have and am thankful for than the few things I don’t.

It’s funny because that this leads me to last night’s lessen at small group, which was on contentment and that true contentment only resides within the will of God and the relationship we have with Him. And yes, I knew this to be true before last night’s lesson. I will say that I think that, by and large, I honestly do not put my level of contentment on anything physical (i.e. possessions). Although do CDs count? How about I just call it music and leave it in the realm of the ethereal (btw, Realm of the Ethereal is playing at Glastonbury this year)?

Now, the one aspect of my life (which is also the aforementioned things not going right) is the crazy 2+ year odyssey I’ve found myself of being a single guy again. Seriously…I’m really really sick of the carousel of woman who have come and gone and come and gone and I’m totally ready to have this thing stop. If anything, can I just sit on one of the stationary benches and not worry about the nice looking horse or the lion and whether or not…okay, the analogy just broke down.

Anyway, I have realized that my lack of content in this area has not as much to do with things like the fact I can get kind of lonely, or that I really miss having my best friend be an attractive woman who I’ve somehow become romantic with, or any of those things one usually associates with romantic love. No no no…my main lack of contentment stems from the fact at the end of the day I see a wealth of potential I possess, given to me by God, and that I want to live a life that is most effective, purposeful, and impacting. Now, I am (and have been so) able to achieve a certain level of this life as a single person, and assuredly many people do so completely as a single person as marriage isn’t for everyone. I am not one of those people. I know, and have seen it played out personally, that I’m at a MUCH better place as part of a “we” instead of a “me” and have felt God the closest while in that place.

So it’s a tough one for me. I mean I objectively know that we can only find contentment solely in God’s will yet…wait, I think I just figured it out. I don’t think it’s an either/or proposition. I think that the reason why I’ve felt God the closest in those realtionships is that because He ultimately has that kind of life in mind for me. Now even though nobody has yet to take me, and I used to feel that my one opportunity was forever lost for a very long time, it doesn’t mean that it isn’t a part of God’s will ultimately.

Now that that’s figured out (am I being facetious? Not sure.), I just have to remain patient in the meantime and move accordingly. I am one of those possibly insane people who would follow God through 100 hoops of fire if He made it clear I was supposed to do so. And to be fair, God has made it clear to me in the past with relationships that it was “100 hoops of fire” time and I was more than willing to go because it’s simple. If God overtly shows himself to you, then you follow. That’s it. Simple. He’s continues to show himself to me in the everyday, in sometimes crazy ways, and I know He’ll do so likewise in the “Future Mrs. Moorman sweepstakes” again and the timing will be right, even if I can’t always see it and you know what? I can be content with that.