Content without it

"Those who are contented are fitted to receive mercy from the Lord. If you want a vessel to take in any liquor, you must hold it still for if the vessel stirs and shakes up and down, you cannot pour in anything, but you will say, 'Hold still', that you may pour it in and not lose any. So if we would be vessels to receive God's mercy, and would have the Lord pour his mercy into us, we must have quiet, still hearts. We must not have hearts hurrying up and down in trouble, discontent and vexing, but still and quiet hearts, if we receive mercy from the Lord. If a child throws and kicks up and down for a thing, you do not give it him when he cries so, but first you will have the child quiet. Even though, perhaps, you intend him to have what he cries for, you will not give it him till he is quiet, and comes, and stands still before you, and is content without it, and then you will give it him. And truly so does the Lord deal with us, for our dealings with him are just as your froward children's are with you. As soon as you want a thing from God, if you cannot have it you are disquieted at once and all in an uproar, as it were, in your spirits. God intends mercy to you, but he says, 'You shall not have it yet, I will see you quiet first, and then in quietness of your hearts come to me, and see what I will do with you.' I appeal to you who are in any way acquainted with the ways of God, have you not found this to be the way of God towards you? When you were troubled for want, perhaps, of some spiritual comfort and your hearts were vexed at it, you got nothing from God all that while; but if you have got your heart into a quiet frame, and can say, 'Well, it is right that the Lord should do with his poor creatures what he will, I am under his feet, and am resolved to do what I can to honour him, and whatever he does with me, I will seek him as long as I live, I will be content with what God gives, and whether he gives or not I will be content.' 'Are you in this frame?' says God, 'now you shall have comfort, now I will give you the mercy.'
The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment by Jeremiah Burroughs

This book was written in the 17th century and in our 24 hour a day world, I believe that a lot of us have forgotten how to be still. 18 month olds are handed ipads and smart phones to keep them occupied. And right there I have 2 reflections that I could easily expound upon but this time I will not. Please just take in what I have quoted (pun not intended).  Perhaps my fellow Christians can think about this: How are we to be poured out like a drink offering, if we never take the time to be still long enough to be able let the One who is the Living Water pour into us? And if we are not being filled by the Living One then what is it that we are pouring out into others?

Practice of the presence of God
by Brother Lawrence
2nd installment

"What we need is to make our faith come alive."

"The goal of all his (Brother Lawrence's) actions was to do them for the love of God."

"We must give ourselves entirely and in complete abandonment to God, both in temporal and in spiritual matters. We must find our contentment in the execution of His will, whether He leads us by sufferings or by consolations, so that everything should seem the same to a person who has truly abandoned himself. We must remain faithful in the dry periods by which God proves our love for Him. In this way we make fruitful acts of surrender and abandonment. A single act of this kind enables us to make much progress along the pathway."

"Find our contentment in the execution of His will" not in getting what I want or what I believe I need or deserve (how unamerican of me) but in this carrying out process of doing what it is the Father would have me do. This reminds me of John Piper and his passion, that "God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him." The longer I walk this road called life, the more I see that I am nothing without Jesus Christ. I want to cry out and be in the place of Thy Will, not mine be done. Strangely enough, I find myself there more often than not especially in these days living as a very mobile American in a very non tradition way. In the material sense you could say that my life is unstable but in the spiritual sense the foundation stones are becoming more settled and secured than ever before in my life.

6 Months in Gainesville and starting our 13th month in the Sunshine State. Sure there are other states to see but staying for a while longer than we are use to is an adventure too. Imagine, cooking a turkey without having boxes to pack in between basting the bird. Christmas with a real tree, of course, we still have our travel size "you can't have Christmas, GML tree" and it has taken a beating but still looks marvelous.
I am ready to go when the time comes but for now I am content to stay. It is wonderful getting to work and serve along side my husband and children. For all of those who have welcomed us we can not thank you enough for your Gracious Gator Hospitality.
PS
If anyone up North reads this say Happy Birthday to our nephew Nicky who turns 17 today.