A Jungle Mess

In this quarantine I feel like our home has turned into a jungle. A jungle where two little monkeys have become Kings, or should I say, Queens of the jungle! I am grateful for the little patio space that we have in the city church parsonage that we have lived in the past year and a half. This patio has become the girls favorite space over the last few weeks. It is amazing how grateful they are over the little things that they are given. Over the course of this year living here, there were many times that I had an aching heart over the fact that I can’t give them a backyard, many toys, or much space to be free to play as they would have if we lived in our home in Texas and stayed in our wonderfully paid jobs. This week I have been so convicted by my girls example of contentment. Seeing the girls’ faces light up and feeling their joy to be on a patio with chalk, bubbles, or sensory bin taught me a beautiful lesson of contentment in simplicity. Weeks like these remind me that simple living sometimes is the best kind of living, it actually frees us up to truly live. Simplicity keeps us humble, dependent on the Lord, and frees us up from the hold of this temporal life. Life isn’t about giving our children every new toy, the biggest yard, nicest bike, best house, newest clothes, or best education out there. It is teaching them contentment with the will of the Father and joyfully satisfied with His provision for our needs. A lot of times we as parents have these expectations, hopes, and dreams for our children that may be good, but are not even necessary. When we walk with the Lord and find our contentment in simplicity, our children will learn from that example. Or in my case, learn from their example of contentment and joy in the simple things.