Playing my weekly hockey game might be one of the very few things in life that I have naturally been content with. Let me explain.
When I play hockey at this point I am not thinking about the next level I can get at. There is no chance I will make minor league hockey or NHL so that doesn’t even enter my brain. I do not have much desire to be the leading scorer or team captain or anything like that. I just LOVE playing. That is it. If I score a goal, great, if I don’t, I still loved playing.
I am not consumed with “what is next.”
I have a wonderful niece and a couple of nephews (and more on the way) and I look forward to see if similar things that I dealt with will go on in them.
When I was in elementary school all I wanted was to be in middle school. Being in elementary school was so childish, I wanted to get to 6th grade where you change classes and had your own locker. Once I got there I thought things would be good.
When I got to middle school I realized I was on the bottom of the totem poll. Not to mention older brothers of friends were starting to drive and had cars because they were in high school. So I thought, High School is where its at. I can’t wait til I get there.
I get to High School and its great being a freshman and all but soon you realize, “I’m still not satisfied with this.” When I get to college teachers won’t even care if I go to class, thats when I will be satisfied.
College is great for a while but it fades quickly and it seems like overwhelmingly students say, “I can’t wait to get out in the real world, I want a job, I want to make money, I want a wife and 2.5 kids…I’ll be satisfied then.”
I’m currently at this stage in life…I’m out of school, I have a job, I have a wife, and I am working on the 2.5 kids part (especially the .5 part – I want a dog so much…pray for wifey).
I do not know what is next but it could be a number of things. It might be, “when I get all the kids potty trained I’ll be satisfied.” then when it happens, “if I can just get all the kids to college I’ll be satisfied.” then when that happens, “if I can just get all the kids married I’ll be satisfied.” then that finally happens you think, “if I could just get all the kids to come back and visit I’ll be satisfied.”
I don’t think this ends. It’s human nature. But this is no way to live life.
I have learned something from Hockey. Enjoy it in the moment. We cannot have the mentality that we will be satisfied when something happens, because that is more than likely not even true.
Whatever circumstance you find yourself in (financially or in life) be satisfied in it.
Hebrews 13:5 “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have”
