making steps to live simply



Living simply doesn’t really come easy to me.  I want lots of stuff, I have spent most of my life wanting stuff, and I am always waiting for that day that I might need this or that.  Oh and let’s not even go there with all the books I’ve purchased over the years and never read.

After being in Haiti and going up North and seeing how amazingly simple people live, I really am thinking that is the way to go.  I’ve also been known to just throw things on a shelf because I am too busy to put something actually “away”.  Or how about how I still have the little bags that come with something with one extra screw or a few washers… what in the world?  I’ve been going through things and either throwing things away or making a garage sale pile (man, if you like Christian books… this will be the place for you!) and just getting rid of things to make life simpler.  I even have clothes that still have tags on them! 

For a long time the thought of getting rid of things made my skin itch and made me twitch…  but now, it seems like the absolute right thing to do…  Makes my skin twitch to NOT do it.  

I can’t believe how much “stuff” I have…  I mean I have boxes and boxes of stuff to get rid of and the crazy thing is that I still have more stuff…  I’ve also taken the time to hang things up that have been sitting waiting patiently to find their rightful place on the walls. 

 It’s been nice to go through things, relive a memory, and let it go.  And sometimes it’s hard because I think of all the money wasted buying things that I never used.

I have to say that eating simply has been A-MAZING!  I think that when I started I thought it was going to be hard, I thought I’d be sick of rice and beans, I’d be tired of eating the same things, but honestly, it’s been amazing.  I feel so good.  I also haven’t had any caffeine except for the few ounces of Toro I had at our team gathering. It’s been so great! I can’t believe it, honestly, water is amazing and I have had one flavored non-caffeine tea a day. 

If there is one thing I’ve learned it’s that stuff doesn’t make me happy. I mean I think I’ve always known that… but going through all these “things” while it’s nice to have, the whole consumerism thing is just nuts.  And for me buying too much stuff and retail therapy and eating has been a terrible crutch, and it’s time to let go of the crutches and walk strongly and confidently and very humbly with Jesus.

Psalm 119:105 Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.

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