Contented or not?

I just finished a book by Anne Ng called “My Isaac to the Lord”. I happened to pick it up during one of our weekend book sprees and was drawn to it. In the past I used to be skeptical about local writers and don’t really fancy them (it’s just my perception that ang moh’s are better writers – I have learned that it was merely a myth and have been somewhat bias).

Coming back to the book, I devoured from cover to cover and was done in 2 days. With many thoughts racing through my mind. It was a story of a mother’s struggle to keep her baby alive and herself sane amidst the looming problems that engulfed her. Her baby Nicole was diagnosed with Biliary Atresia a sickly condition that leads to a slow walk to death. In her battle to keep Nicole alive she faced many predicaments like financial difficulty, spiritual crossroads, emotional turmoil, relative committing suicide, caring for her other children and husband, retrenchment and so forth. All this in just 3 years! How did she cope? One day at a time - that's for sure. Her testimony is a living message of the reality of God. It’s amazing and incredibly encouraging to see miracles after miracles emerging from the cloud of storm.

I sit back and ask myself what can I learn from this? Contentment came knocking on my door. Haven’t we thought to ourselves that in certain circumstances the grass is greener on the other side? I’m thankful for the very littlest thing that comes through my path every single day. I find myself thanking God for a healthy body whilst swimming the other day. I realized that my life is full though I don’t have all the money in the world or even if I’m not earning as much as I would like to be earning. I’m content even if my neighbor drives a BMW 5 Series, although I would love to sit in one! There’s always something to thank God for. I remember telling a child when she looked blurry eyed at me saying “I don’t know how to pray”, I answered her by saying “Why don’t you start by thanking God. There’s always something to thank God for. That you are alive and happy, that your daddy and mommy loves you very much, that…”

Life as a working adult has evolved. Until a knock comes onto our conscience we don't realize that our wants have climbed up the ranks. Wants becoming needs, and luxury becoming wants. When will it ever be enough? Never! I rather resort now to being contented with what I have instead of going insane running this rat race and allow days to consume me. Each day is yet another reward from God.