I have learned the secret of being content in every situation….

I can do everything through (Christ) who strengthens me.

–The Apostle Paul

It was a rare moment for me and it happened this week when I introduced Dharma and Greg to the Klope family and their friends — to everyone’s complete surprise. Not even my bird-loving husband knew beforehand of my plan.

It all began one glorious afternoon when I realized I was home alone. While I chose to bring three kids into the world for all the delightful hubbub I knew it would produce, I also need to be surrounded by quiet on occasion. At times hectic scheduling, the boom! boom! boom! of music, the opening and closing of the refrigerator, fussing over shared clothing, and the drama that invariably infiltrates teen-age lives produces anything but contentment in this mother. I repeat to myself, I can do everything through Christ who strengths me, like a mantra when my sense of peace is extended to a breaking point. I also move into action — hoisting myself out of bed at obscenely early hours seeking the solitude I need to pray and read my Bible — to recapture contentment lost.

It is for these reasons that my afternoon of solitude seemed so wondrous. After fixing myself an iced coffee and perusing my latest copy of O Magazine, I realized I had enjoyed quite enough of that do-nothingness. My window of opportunity to place my plan into action had arrived, so I hopped into my car and headed to one of my favorite places on earth: the pet store.

On the way I recalled the recent afternoon I had explored the University of Washington campus with my husband and attended a seminar put on by the director of the undergraduate housing office. I had realized with great clarity that my firstborn was indeed readying herself to leave our nest and I longed to mark the occasion with something more than shed tears. I decided that a pair of zebra finches to take care of and daily observe would not only bring our friends and family new delights, but play out before my eyes how right it is to build a nest, lay those eggs, hatch them and send those young ’uns on their way.

When I was a young collegian I owned a pair of zebra finches names Fred and Ethel. They went where I went and even served to amuse one highway patrolman who stopped the VW Bug my roommate and I were driving to reach home by Thanksgiving. It was 1:30 a.m. and he could not imagine why two girls were maneuvering their way along I-5 among long-haul truckers at such a late hour. When he moved the beam of his flashlight to the backseat, to discover Fred and Ethel swinging together on a perch, he shook his head in amusement and made us promise we would pull off at the nearest exit to grab a cup of coffee and rest.

I’m simply not content to let your proceed without a break,” he commented. “You look too much like my own daughters and I’d want nothing to happen to them out here either.”

While entertaining such memories I purchased a modest cage and all that my finches would need to be happy. There is a birdie bathtub, water and food containers, a cuttle bone and a spray of millet. There is also a sandpapered perch to keep their nails filed down, a natural twig, and best of all a covered nest to fulfill their need to procreate and nurture. When I got home I assembled the cage, placed Dharma and Greg in a quiet spot and waited for Klope family members to discover our new pets.

To say there was complete surprise is an understatement. Why had I not informed them of my plan? When did I decide to do all this? And the analysis … why, it is endless. Listen to them talk! Look how Greg is building the nest! Check out how cute they are, looking out from inside that nest!

Did I mention the egg that appeared five days after their arrival?

Theirs is a picture of contentment and I challenge myself with the concept each time I watch them. The Apostle Paul found contentment because he learned to see life from God’s point of view. He focused on what he was supposed to do and not on what he felt he should have. Regardless of the changes or the losses or the challenges, Paul drew contentment from God because His promises are real and trustworthy.

To what are you drawn to when you feel empty or unsteady? How can you find true contentment? The answers will come from your perspective, priorities and source of power.

My answers to contentment dilemmas abide with Christ and two finches modeling truth by simply doing what comes naturally.

Freelance writer Joan Bay Klope’s e-mail address is jbklope@hotmail.com.