What I Want

In his book, Never Lick a Moving Blender, Marvin Phillips includes a poem written by Jason Lehman, a fourteen year old young man. Below is that free verse offering called Present Tense.

It was spring.
But it was summer I wanted.
The warm days,
And the great outdoors.

It was summer
But it was fall I wanted.
The colorful leaves,
And the cool, dry air.

It was fall.
But it was winter I wanted.
The beautiful snow,
And the joy of the holiday season.

It was winter.
But it was spring I wanted.
The warmth,
And the blossoming of nature.

I was a child,
But it was adulthood I wanted.
The freedom,
And the respect.

I was 20,
But it was 30 I wanted.
To be mature,
And sophisticated.

I was middle-aged,
But it was 20 I wanted.
The youth,
And the free spirit.

I was retired,
But it was middle-aged I wanted.
The presence of mind,
Without limitations.

My life was over,
But I never got what I wanted.

Certainly there is nothing wrong with wishes, plans, hopes, goals and dreams or even wants for that matter. The problem comes when we can't find happiness, contentment and a sense of settled fulfillment in our current situation. If our personal peace has to have an ìifî or a ìwhenî attached to it, we'll never find it. Maybe having what I want isn't the problem. Maybe wanting what I want is causing the discontent.

The Bible says in 1 Timothy 6:6-7: Godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world and we can take nothing out of it. Face it. Life just as it is, if you're a child of God, is filled with millions of reasons to be at content