Thursday, January 3, 2013

2013: A Time for Simple


We live in a small space. Our little home is perfect for us, but sometimes it irks me to see a mountain bike always propped up against our kitchen table or the 3 inches of kitchen counterspace we have. Even so, we have more than we could have ever asked for, and we need nothing. Need nothing.

This year, I'm longing for a more simplified life. We need nothing, but the wants run rampant in our hearts. We want so much, so the blessings cloud over. The precious home becomes a cold, cramped place. The abundance of clothing becomes a nasty pile of dirty laundry needing washing. The little red car, a valuable means of transportation, becomes annoying because the trunk doesn't close. And suddenly, we're pitying people who have birthdays close to Christmas and complaining about the price of a storage unit to put away our extra stuff. This consumerism thing... it doesn't bring peace or satisfaction.

When we constantly consume, we overlook our blessings and forget about beauty. Blessings abound in talents, relationships, and Creation itself, yet the cost of convenience is stifling any beauty that can be found in these things! After consuming for so long, I am ready to clear the air and let beauty blossom; creating beautiful things while appreciating beauty made by the Creator. Instead of constantly taking things that have been made by a machine, I want to hone in on the skills God has given me to create things with my hands. Rather than sitting with the TV on or my phone lit up, I want to cherish the beauty outside my home in Creation and the beauty instilled in relationships with friends and family. There truly is God-ordained beauty in genuine, unhindered conversation.... and I hope to find it.

As a means of de-cluttering and counting my blessings, this year I want to rid myself of the things only society says I need, and I will share my blessings with others... unhindered. My list of blessings is manifold, and I hope to never hoard them. Perhaps this aim will serve to teach me further detachment from my earthly things, so that I truly believe I was not made for this world.

Beauty has been stifled for long enough. Will you join me in de-cluttering and simplifying life so that we can fix our eyes on what life was meant to be lived for?

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