Nov. 3, 2006
Simplicity
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In the midst of life's bedlam, there is
one space that I find more and more valuable over the years...sometimes
it's found, sometimes it's sought, and yet other times it seems so
abstract that one wonders if there ever really is a state of
simplicity. I wonder if, simplicity is merely a state of mind rather than a recognizable way of life...maybe just a way of being. No, I'm not saying we should all become simple-minded in order to escape the realities of every day life. Contrarily, I feel compelled to look at it from the perspective of affording ourselves the simplicity that comes with being at peace with oneself. Therefore, making the realities of life more transparent and less daunting; clear in focus, not blurred by emotion, "what ifs", or even, the all too frequent, "whys". The more that I consider the 'art' of simplicity, the more that I long to fill every space of my being with this tranquillity. Assuming that this simplicity is an art - maybe the art involved is the art of choice. One has to choose to be in a state of serenity, regardless of the 'controlled chaos' of life - maybe even in spite of it. So, if I choose a mental state of being that is based on a simplified lifestyle...then doesn't it stand to reason that, consequently, this will trickle down to those around me? Creating a better world -- in my small corner of it, at least? But, the art isn't in living simply, it is in choosing to live simply. And the art of choosing to live simply, for me, is in choosing to remind myself endlessly of who I am compared to Who God is. Choosing to lay the burdens and trappings of life at His feet and walk in trust. Trust in trust. Trust in the only One who is always faithful. So, when I boil it all down, to my, altogether too complicated way of thinking, Simplicity equals Trust. So, why does it seem so elusive, so often? Thank God, he's a God of patience. (Who, but me, could make a query into simplicity - so, simply.....difficult?) :) |