I keep talking about the past 9 months...interesting that it has been that amount of time. There is definitely a feeling that I have been in a period of growth and development...and am getting ready to be birthed into something else. Yes...interesting.
A few years ago I went to visit my friends in Arkansas! When we lived in Africa together, my friend and I talked about this big craft fair that they have in the fall and said that when we got back to the States that we would go. So we did! :) It was very fun. The prize find for me was a sign that says "Live Simply". It caught my eye, and if I remember correctly, I didn't buy it the first time I saw it. I went back and got it. Maybe it was the beginning of something God was trying to work out in me? The sign currently hangs above my door.
My journey of learning about living a life of simplicity began in Africa. If you ask me now what I love the most and miss the most about Africa, I will tell you two things. The people and the simplicity of life. Yet I have so easily jumped right back into my busy, cluttered life in the States both times I have returned. Over the past few years there have been moments that I have longed for simplicity in all areas of my life - yet haven't been able to figure out how to get there. I am learning that it is just that, a journey. It is a journey that takes time and a lot of effort. I think I am at the point in the journey where I need to start making more effort than I have been. God is convicting my heart - so I need to listen!
I am reading Freedom of Simplicity by Richard Foster. Great book! What I am coming to understand is that it isn't just about possessions. It is a mindset. When we choose to live our lives simply - it really does bring us freedom. If I am not all caught up in material possessions, I am free from worry and free to give of my things without holding on to them. I am beginning to understand that everything I have is from God - nothing is mine. That relates back to the previous blog about my time. My time is not my own either. If my mindset is simple - I am surrendered completely to God. And that frees me up to serve Him and other people generously. I am open to invite others into my space and schedule because it isn't cluttered with things.
This is all just ramble at this point in time - I still feel like I am in the very early stages of a much greater journey. I can't shake the desire for simplicity...so I am trying to make the space to really seek after it. It will come b/c I know that it is God's desire for me. So I will keep on keeping on.
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