I pass by a birdhouse each day on my morning walk that says, “See Rock City.” If you’ve driven through the Southeastern United States there are high odds you’ve seen that messaging for the attraction located just outside Chattanooga, Tennessee.
I’ve seen it. It’s okay. Once was enough. One day as I passed that birdhouse my immediate thought was, “I’ve seen it. Now what?”
I feel that way with a lot of life. Maybe you do, too. We check events, experiences, and milestones off a list and then struggle to cope with disappointment, letdown and what’s next. We put so much effort into the destination, we don’t know what to do once we’ve reached it, which often isn’t as perfect as advertised. Reality seldom matches the build-up.
One of my go-to examples of that is seeing the Mona Lisa in person. I was so disappointed. In my mind it was going to be like some amazing movie scene. I mean all that culture at the Louvre in Paris. It was going to be amazing. It wasn’t. It was crowded as popular attractions are. It was small. Much smaller than you think. You couldn’t get close. I felt like I spent a great deal of time hustling past better exhibits to get to the out-of-the-way room where she was located behind glass. I’m glad I’ve seen it, but as a non-painter at least, it was disappointing.
Enjoying that day, the trip with a friend, and good croissants, were all far more satisfying than seeing one of the world’s most famous paintings.
You know what was better than seeing Rock City? Being on vacation with my people. Watching them enjoy something that we could experience together. You know what is better than a societal blueprint for my life that says, do this, be this, have this, by this time? Well, almost anything but I digress.
Being content for each day God has given me, the people He has placed in my life, and the chance to do it again tomorrow. That’s better. There is nothing wrong with having a bucket list or having dreams for your life. In fact, I think it’s important that we do. We’re not meant to haplessly wander through life and just wait for death.
However, ultimate satisfaction and contentment aren’t found anywhere outside of a relationship with God because it’s why we were created. That is how our souls find contentment. Nothing else will fill that void, especially not stuff.
In 1 Timothy 6:6-8 (NKJV) it says, “But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content.”
There is nothing about a spouse, a job, having 2.4 children, a house with a white picket fence, a certain type of car, trips to trendy places, or a weight goal you’ve achieved, that will give you actual soul contentment. You can travel the whole world, be the richest person in your town, be famous or just simply do everything you dreamed of and be in for a letdown. If we aren’t content with a little, we won’t be with a lot.
I know too many people, myself included, who found themselves married with children and then wondering what comes next. Some struggle after a graduation or reaching a big accomplishment. It is normal to feel some disappointment or letdown. One way to counter that is striving for godliness and being content one day at a time. Enjoy the journey instead of being entirely hung up on the destination.
You can “See Rock City” and enjoy a lovely view, but realize rocks are still rocks. You can have a dream wedding only to realize the reality of marriage is a lot of hard work. You can spend years trying to land the perfect job, but still want regular vacations from it. Friends, we are never going to be content chasing someone else’s idea of success or with stuff we can’t carry out of this world. They were never meant to satisfy. They are an appetizer.
It’s good to dream and enjoy the fruits of our labor, but don’t expect to find contentment in the gift shop. That’s found in the daily journey with God.
