Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. (Philippians 4:11)

The story is told of a farmer who had lived on the same farm all his life. It was a good farm with fertile soil, but with the passing of years, the farmer began to think, ‘ Maybe there’s something better for me.’ He set out to find an even better plot of land on which to farm.

Every day he found a new reason for criticizing some feature of his old farm. Finally, he decided to sell. He listed the farm with a real estate broker who promptly prepared an advertisement emphasizing all the many advantages of the acreage: ideal location, modern equipment, healthy stock, acres of fertile ground, high yields on crops, well-kept barns and pens, nice two story house on a hill above the pasture.

When the real estate agent called to read the ad to the farmer for his approval prior to placing it in the newspaper, the farmer heard him out. When he had finished, he cried, “Hold everything! I’ve changed my mind. I’m not going to sell. Why, I’ve been looking for a place just like this one all my life.”

When one starts identifying the good traits of any person, situation or organization, one is likely to find that they far outweigh the bad. We each need to focus on what we have. What we don’t have is most probably insignificant.

God of love and goodness, may we appreciate all that You have given us in this life. You know best what each of us needs and wants!