Learning Contentment

Jillian is the creator behind Sprouting Arrows, a page dedicated for families who are intentionally choosing to live on less in order to have more family time. Jillian and her husband have 4 young children and currently live in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia.  

You can find her content at Sproutingarrows.com

As well as most social media platforms, like Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube. 

I have been a stay-at-home-mom for 6 years now. It has been the hardest and most rewarding job I have ever done. I used to be an occupational therapist and my husband and I lived a pretty comfortable life before children. I wouldn’t say we were overspenders, but we also weren’t paying attention to where our money was going. After our first was born and I stayed home, we continued to go about our life as if we had two incomes like before. I know, it feels obvious now, but we just never learned the habit of paying attention to what we were spending. We thought we were fine. Until all of a sudden we were so far from fine. We started gaining debt quickly and we had to turn things around fast before it got any worse. A pivotal moment for us was when we had to stop and talk to each other about what our next steps would be. How would we actually get by on significantly less money? We definitely were not overly materialist beforehand, but I will say that I didn’t really think about objects the way that I do now. I used to think that I needed a gym membership, and I needed the name brand snacks for the kids in the car. I thought I needed my monthly subscriptions, and my coffee from the drive-thru. I honestly thought that those were needs, until our finances got so tight that it helped clarify what actually was a need, rather than a want, for our family. We didn’t actually need so many things. So I started crossing things off and canceled everything we could. We stopped eating out and over-buying. We did this because we had to, but what I didn’t realize is how beneficial this was going to be for our family. 

Out of necessity, we started slowing down. We started making more food at home and finding free activities to do as a family. Our purchases became more intentional. Our mindset began to shift towards living a more simple life and to be content with what we have. Contentment is a learned mental skill, like a muscle in your body that grows and becomes stronger with each use. When facing adversity, we can either find contentment within it, or it will eat at us. 

Philippians 4:11-13 states, “Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” Remember who wrote that? Paul did. Paul, who was shipwrecked, imprisoned, and beaten. How was he able to stay content through all of that? Only with the power of God. Our problems are nothing in comparison to what Paul went through, and what so many others go through. How light are our troubles compared to that! 

Our family is so far from perfect, I have not mastered contentment, but I keep working on growing and strengthening that muscle. I am working on continuing to lean on Jesus, and teaching my children to do the same. My heart is being led to help other families on their journey  and to let them know that the choice to live on less actually can be truly enriching. 

Jillian