April Moments: Content & Grateful

When I was young both of my parents had a love for music and a love of singing.  They even traveled around the world in an evangelistic singing group when they were in college.  At times, I found their passion embarrassing as they wouldn't just sing the songs during worship, they would sing loudly, and with what seemed to me to be dramatic inflection in their voices, sing harmonies and runs.  Mostly though, I loved that we would sing in the car as a family and I loved to sit on the piano bench next to my mom and sing with her.  One of my favorite songs to sing with her was Jehovah-Jireh. The lyrics are simple. "Jehovah Jireh, my provider, His grace is sufficient for me, my God shall supply all my needs, according to His riches and glory, He will give His angels charge over me, Jehovah Jireh cares for me." 

I have found myself singing this often through the years even though I haven't heard it in church or on the radio in a very long time.  Now as I reflect on these lyrics they have been some of the most impacting theology I've ever known.  My life wasn't and isn't all "sing-along’s" and "Sundays."  There have been many times where the circumstances of my life have told me I'm alone, I don't have enough, it won't be okay, or this situation won't get better. But standing on the truth that God is my provider and He is full of riches and glory, He cares about me, He watches over me and His grace is sufficient for me, has made the difference between a life of "if onlys" and a life of trusting Him in all things. Choosing to be grateful in all circumstances and finding true contentment. 

As a mother in today's society, teaching our kids to be grateful and content can only happen if we ourselves have learned to be. God is good, He is able, and He loves to take care of His kids. 

Lanise Santala

Philippians 4:19

King James Version (KJV)

But my God shall supply all your need
according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.