Monday, August 16, 2010

Discontentment Sneaks In

Yesterday driving back from a weekend away visiting friends we passed an IKEA and due to the fact that I had never been, the family decided to stop and browse.

I had heard so much from my friends about this great store that I was so very excited to browse and brainstorm.

I had high hopes for gaining new ideas in decorating the RV.

Through the excitement in getting to finally see this store, I didn't expect the emotions that came flooding/sneaking their way in.
What began as a fun family experience became a nagging discontentment in my soul.

The desires and wants for my own "big" home, a home to decorate without worrying about space and whether or not we had room for this or that.

I realized that this discontentment was creeping in and thankfully I had time to catch it early and work through my selfish desires for bigger and better.

I am here in this moment, in this time with my family. We live in a small home on wheels that yes makes decorating a little difficult I will admit, but I choose to embrace this cozy life and all that it brings!

Thanks to IKEA, the Crazy Daddy and I have some good ideas for working on the children's bedroom and are excited about the renovations to come!
Posted by at 9:30 AM
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13 comments:

  1. i have felt that same thing in many stores including ikea. i always have to keep in perspective how much God has blessed us and remember that I don't need everything stores tell me I need! :) great post!
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  2. Woo hoo! Good for you for catching yourself from becoming discontent! I have discovered that I go through times like that when I am not remembering to thank my Father in Heaven and others for the blessings that I have. When I am filled with gratitude there is no room for "wanting." When I am "wanting" it is because I have forgotten the blessings I might have to give up for the thing I want. You would have to give up YOUR ENTIRE COZY AND FAMILY CENTERED LIFESTYLE for those stupid big decorations!!! I have a house, not a set of wheels, so I know it is not really comparable to your situation. But there are 6 of us, and it is 1200 square feet, and there is literally only one wall in my living room (one is made of glass windows, one has a gas stove, and the other isn't a wall... it leads to the dining room). I used to be so frustrated that I could only find 2 ways to arrange my furniture... and only one of them was any good, so basically one. Before we moved here I changed my furniture ALL THE TIME - and I LOVED IT! That was something I had to give up to live in a home that fit my budget, and kept my family close to me. Once I outweighed the blessings and realized how great they were, I stopped wanting to move the furniture. NOW I LOVE THAT I DON'T HAVE TO MOVE FURNITURE!!! :D The attitude of gratitude is worth EVERYTHING! So good for you for stopping yourself from being discontent... you have so much to be thankful for (my husband and I think we would LOVE doing what you do; we're SO happy for you that you get to do this at this time in your life. ;)

    Wishing you many more gratitude filled days!
    Corine :D
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  3. PS Now I am also so happy about and thankful for my windows, and stove, and a room that is open and easy to socialize in… so the heck with missing rearranging! I'm sure you have things that you like about your home and decorations, too. ;)
    TTFN! Corine :D
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  4. Thank you both for your great encouraging words, sometimes its just so hard!
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  5. Oh, I know what you mean ... even though it hasn't been so long for us! I find myself looking at homes and feeling this sort of enviousness ... then I remind myself that I can admire -- just as one might admire art -- without having to possess, and this makes a world of difference. I think we are taught in this culture to want so much, that we forget we don't have to own things in order to appreciate them. I don't know if this makes any sense! But I do know what you mean :).
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  6. I love when you get brutally honest about yourself and the "real" things that you face. Because those are the things that we ALL face!!!! And I can't wait to see what you are doing to the kiddies room:)
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  7. We're enjoying that...simplify, downsize, and tell that ole materialistic lifestyle goodbye. What's really important anyway?....You did good!!
    Best wishes in your decorating!
    Robert
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  8. I have never been to an IKEA...sounds like a fun place though. Way to go working through your emotions. I have a larger house than I care for and am dreaming of downsizing...I am sure once I do, there will be moments of wishing for more space.
    Suzy
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  9. we have IKEA 10 minutes away. the catalog came in the mail the other day and I immediately threw it away. i so understand!
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  10. Very good realization in the moment which can be hard! I always think about someone that said they didn't know they needed these things until they saw the Sears catalog. (the first catalog to sell you in your home) :) You should be proud of your outlook!
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  11. I resonate with that feeling too. You aren't alone. Ikea is the best place but also the worst in terms of desire.
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  12. Very good realization in the moment which can be hard! I always think about someone that said they didn't know they needed these things until they saw the Sears catalog. (the first catalog to sell you in your home) :) You should be proud of your outlook!
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  13. We're enjoying that...simplify, downsize, and tell that ole materialistic lifestyle goodbye. What's really important anyway?....You did good!!
    Best wishes in your decorating!
    Robert
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