May today there be peace within.

"May today there be peace within. May you trust that you are exactly where you are meant to be. May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith in yourself and others. May you use the gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you. May you be content with yourself just the way you are. Let this knowledge settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love. It is there for each and every one of us."

One of my beloved girlfriends, Jennifer, sent this quote to me a few weeks ago.  It spoke to me and I told her that it would inspire a blog topic.  All of the words are powerful, meaningful, and full of hope.  There are two sentences in this paragraph that stood out above all else:  "May you trust that you are exactly where you are meant to be." and "May you be content with yourself just the way you are."

I know that I struggle with that you are exactly where you are meant to be and the content part of it all.  Jeremiah 29:11 tells me that God has a plan for me.  I believe it.  I know it to be true, but the sinful creature that I am, makes me restless in my wonder if I am suppose to be doing this.  What is this?  This is my job, this is motherhood, this is living where and how I do.  This is everything. So how do I trust that I am exactly where I am meant to be?  It is simply faith.  I have no other answer for it.  I may always wonder, I may even try to change it but there will always be something that keeps me in a way that I am where I am meant to be. 

Contentment with myself the way that I am.  Well....where do we even begin with the discontentment?  There is the body, the lack of time, the never enough hours in the day, the lack of patience with a little person at times, my particular eating, and a bevy of other imperfections.  But each one of those things is what makes me, me--the good, the bad, and the ugly.  While I may have realizations that I need to work on things that make me discontent, they do not rule my life.  Sure I stare in a mirror and see hair that will never do what I want it to do and I see a tummy that will never look like it did 10 years ago.  But also, I look in that mirror and I see a woman who has lived 32 years, has accomplished more than she knew she could, became a wife and mother, and continually changes.  I like those things I see in the mirror.  I am thankful for those things.  I hope to have many more.

So maybe, just maybe I have more trust and contentment than I give myself credit for in this life. It is a good live after all.