My sister, Katherine, and I are on a roll. I started talking about Simplicity here and here. You might be able to tell that our phone conversations often revolve around the topics of Simplicity, Sanctuary, and Where Is My Sanity. That's because you never fully arrive at Simplicity if you have kids, go to church and live in America.
She posted a few days ago about Simplicity With the Big Picture in Mind. Wow, she has some great points, and it made me stop and think. Pursuing Simplicity doesn't always look like what you think it will.
When I imagine the Simple Life, I kind of think about becoming more Amish-like. Baking bread, working the land, making quilts, putting up jars of preserves. Hair in a bun, wearing clothing made of hemp.
The reality is, we will most likely never live like that. We don't know the first thing about farming!
But we do know about what brings peace to our home, and that is Margin. It is the space that brings sanity to our finances, our time and our belongings. Going to school for alot of years has brought margin and a simpler life to my sister's family. In the middle of those years they might have wondered if it was worth the effort, but they trudged on and finally made it. They pursued the Simple Life.
Several years ago, I wouldn't have thought a simpler life would include me working. I do have a fairly flexible schedule that allows me to do Mommy things, but we have to make choices to make it work. Simplicity means that I don't tend to my garden like I would like to. I don't volunteer for many church things. I'm not a Room Mother. I sure don't bake bread or put up preserves. There is dust on my furniture. I've had to let alot of things go.
I have to look at my work as part of God's provision for our family at this time, rather than see it as a burden to be borne. There is joy to be found in embracing the seasons of life and continuing to pursue Simplicity every day, regardless of your circumstances. Rarely does one ever have the perfect scenario to think "I have arrived."
Are there some things in your life that don't LOOK like Simplicity, but will reap rewards later? Maybe there are some things that you can let go of to keep the Bigger Picture in Mind. Jesus calls us to a simple faith, a simple walk with Him. Our complicated lives often crowd out what He is trying to do in us. By letting go of the unimportant things and embracing His plan for us, we can see His hand more clearly.
Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope."
