on contentment.

via Pinterest. 

I've been repeating this phrase over and over in my head lately. "Don't compare your beginning to someone else's middle." It's so easy in this entry level, starter phase of life to become discontent and not see the light ahead. You see people a few years older who have made their way in more ways than one or have friends who have something you want and don't have, and you begin to wonder if you ever will have that. Or worse, you get into the never ending cycle of keeping up with the Jonses. I've always prided myself on not falling into the category of "entitled" that older generations try to peg millennials as. I fully understand the importance of working your way up, paying your dues, and being patient. Still, being caught up in many moments, it's easy to not focus on the many, many blessings I have been given and instead focus on the blessings others have. A friend often reminds me of the quote and truth, "Comparison is the thief of joy." Comparing ourselves to others robs us of the joy of God's blessings given to us. I'm trying to meditate on these quotes and remember that everyone before me had a beginning, and I, too, will have a middle. Especially during this time where the season of "giving" becomes the season of "I want," I'm trying to remind myself of these words and the bountiful provisions God has given me. If it's just the beginning, the best is yet to come.