Happy to be Content

It's amazing what your computer crashing does to your ability to update your blog. Luckily I have some time here at my mother's house to write what's been on my mind lately.
Last week I found myself in a debate with my friend Paul. We got to talking about happiness versus contentment. I know many people define these words in different ways, so for the sake of this piece I will say that our contention was that happiness implies a fleeting enjoyment whereas contentment is long lasting.
Paul was arguing that happiness is more precious than contentment. He claimed that people who say money can't buy happiness never had any money. I replied that I agreed with him in that money could buy happiness, but that it could not buy contentment. Paul claimed contentment was worthless while happiness was more valuable as it's fleetingness provided a constant goal to try and attain.
This makes sense for Paul. After all Paul is the type of person who could wake up in the morning next to a girl he didn't love and not worry about what had happened last night. Paul lives for the moment. Paul also doesn't believe in God, calling him "the big apparition that lives in the sky." Paul has never obtained anything in his life to give him lasting joy so I can see why he values happiness over contentment.
For me however happiness alone would never be satisfactory. When I was 17 I reached a point where, diagnosed with depression, I thought I would never be content again. During that long year I certainly had happy moments, but they did nothing to eradicate my despair when they were as fleeting as Paul's beloved momentary enjoyments.
Now at 23, married to a man I love with all my being, I find that the peace of mind I have obtained from a solid relationship with both my husband Steve and my God is a treasure beyond diamonds, pearls, or any other delight money could buy. When I was 17 I never thought I would find what I have today. It still amazes me that the Lord helped pull me from my depression, and that Steve loved me when I had thought myself unloveable.
So I can say with complete confidence that I'm quite happy to be content. It is a state more precious to me than I think Paul could ever understand. And there's something quite nice about knowing that the man I wake up next to in the morning is my husband, and I don't ever have to regret what we did the night before. ;)