To live a contented life

“There are nine requisites for contented living: HEALTH enough to make work a pleasure; WEALTH enough to support your needs; STRENGTH enough to battle with difficulties and forsake them; GRACE enough to confess your sins and overcome them; PATIENCE enough to toil until some good is accomplished; CHARITY enough to see some good in your neighbor; LOVE enough to move you to be useful and helpful to others; FAITH enough to make real the things of God; HOPE enough to remove all anxious fears concerning the future.”
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

My original intent was to comment on hard work and how I’ve never been afraid of manuel labor or working with my hands–in fact I have found such to be most rewarding. Then I read this quote by Goethe and found it a wonderful piece of advice and something that I am thankful to be reminded of–knowing that life is more than just working hard, as that is just one component. It is necessary that we acknowledge and lay claim to the other essential pieces which, all together, create a sense of satisfaction within one’s life. Sometimes we must make room and time for the aspects we tend to overlook as we become too consumed by just the few—there is so much more to a life lived well—the key is finding the right balance.

The unseen Angels

“Make yourself familiar with the angels, and behold them frequently in spirit; for, without being seen, they are present with you”
St Francis de Sales

It has been cold, pouring down rain and very unlike May in Georgia these past several days. I found myself stuck indoors scouring for some semblance of color, nature, the outdoors—anything to give hope that, yes, the Spring’s sun and warmth will return. This little tiny orchid bloom was gracing my kitchen. After taking the picture I noticed what looked like a tiny little “angel” in the middle of the flower. Wings open and arms outstretched.
Not that I tend to be into cutesy and sappy images, but I thought it interesting…

Which got me thinking about how there is so much that we will never know or understand about God’s mysteries which constantly surrounds us–we are often too busy,too smug, too arrogant to give much thought to God surrounding us or sending us His angelic forces to protect, to care, to minister to us basically behind the scenes of our lives. It gives me pause to be thankful for the things I can see, but more importantly for the things that I cannot or will never see.

(Annibale Carracci/ Cherub carrying flowers/ France)