As I walked the halls of a nursing home today hoping to provide a little encouragement and cheer to some of the residences there, I got an unexpected reality check myself. 

As I stepped into the room of an elderly gentleman that I visit often, I found him doing what I have seen him doing for months—lying in his bed watching television.  Unable to walk and seldom getting up to sit in a chair, his world is quite small.  His feet have been a source of great difficulty for him; I noticed cloth between his toes and upon inquiry he told me that that was to keep his toes from rubbing together and getting sore. 

If that sounds like an existence with little to look forward to, I would have to agree with that assessment.  And if I had half the hardships half the time that that old gentleman has all the time I would probably hold a continuous stream of pity parties.  Interestingly, he can give a big grin at any given time.  There is much to be learned from one with that kind of outlook on life.

While the conversation unfolded, I offered a few lighthearted words as I asked him if Santa Claus was good to him.  He reported that he was, but I was not expecting what he said next.  It was a simple statement, yet in light of his circumstances I found it to be profound, for even in his restricted condition he found life to be worth living.  That simple statement spoken with his impeded speech was:  “We still here.”  In the midst of all the pain and hardships that he has endured, he is still glad to be alive. 

That does not mean that he would turn down an opportunity to have good health again if it was offered to him.  I am confident that he would be overjoyed if he could walk again; nevertheless, somehow he has grasped the value of being content regardless of the tough blows that life has dealt him.

A long time ago, one of the great men of God, Paul–who wrote a good portion of the New Testament–had this to say about contentment in his  life:  “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty.  I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want”  (Philippians 4:12, New International Version).  When you examine the life of Paul in the Bible you find a life that had many experiences—both good and bad–as he served the Lord.  In the midst of them all he found contentment.  The source of that contentment was not in his strong personality, his tough hide, or his powerful determination.  While those personal character traits served a purpose in his life, the next verse pinpoints the real reason for his contentment:  “I can do everything through Him [Christ] Who gives me strength” (verse 13). 

We do not always have a great deal of say-so regarding our circumstances in life, but we have the opportunity to choose how we face them all.  When we lean on Christ, He gives us strength to face whatever comes our way.  As we are told in 1 Timothy 6:6, “But godliness with contentment is great gain.”