Friday, March 27, 2020

Less is More

This morning, like many my Dad said he experienced as I was growing up, "the Lord woke me up." (Maxine's electric toothbrush kept turning on randomly in my bathroom like it was a set alarm clock... okay, God, I'm awake!")  I have had just so much on my mind lately during this "pandemic".  I'm thinking about every person impacted by this.  Whether it be job loss, financial uncertainty, lonliness and isolation, cancelled trips, babies due during this time... it's all weighing on me.  I am somewhat of an empath, so when I think too deeply about any of these things, the feeling is crippling.  I, myself, haven't experienced much loss out of this situation.  We are definitely blessed that Jordan's job is a necessity at this point in time, and if anything he will just end up working MORE if he's needed. And what's funny, is I have always considered myself an extrovert, but I'm discovering just how much I enjoy being home and having ZERO plans.

What will life look like after this?  Will everyone live a slower life?  Will people go back to eating dinner with their families every night and spending their weekends at home and not going from activity to activity?  Will kids get the opportunity to combine home and school in some kind of hybrid school?  Will jobs allow people to work from home more often now that they've seen how much can still get accomplished?  I don't think there will be a great depression following this experience, I think there will be a great awakening and a financial boom!  There are new ways of living, working and educating being explored right now that could transform our very way of life!  We are starting to see what needs to stay and what can go.  The priority shift about to take place will send shockwaves throughout the world, but I don't think for the bad.

God missed us.  He saw how anxious, stressed, overwhelmed, short-on-time, hurried and greedy we were and decided to give us the much-needed break we all so desperately needed.  No way we would have chosen any of this for ourselves, but He said, "Enough is enough.  I AM enough.  What you have is enough.  Those in your 4 walls are enough.  Breathe. Rest. Be."
28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” - Matthew 11: 28-30

What God promises us in times of rest is a light burden.  He doesn't want us to pile more and more and more upon our plate that we don't even know where to start.  As a nation, we are in extreme debt.  I don't mean the government, I mean as individuals.  Our need for more, bigger, better will never end.  God created us perfect in a perfect garden in a perfect order... Since the fall, man has been striving ever since to attain that perfection again.  In that striving, we have given up some of the most important things in life in order to have just a little taste of perfection.  

We clean and decorate our homes based off of a Pinterest perfection that isn't sustainable.  We cook our meals comparing them to cookbook pictures and Pinterest food photographers who work on their craft YEARS before achieving the perceived perfection.  We turn in our paid-off vehicles that need occasional maintenance for an upgraded version that will look the part and never need new parts.  We send our children to school 40 hours a week for others to raise as we spend our days working to pay for the things we don't need and can't afford.  We grieve the time spent away from them but don't see how we can do life any other way.  We click the link under what she's wearing because those jeans need to be in my closet.  We starve ourselves so we can then fit into those jeans... they don't fit perfect quite yet. We skip church on Sunday mornings because it's the only morning of the week when we can sleep in.  Somethings gotta give, right?  


We are constantly going, constantly measuring and weighing ourselves and finding ourselves wanting, when God has said over and over again that we are enough.  Just as we are, with what we have.  He will provide.  1 Cor. 9:8 "And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work." 

2 Peter 1:3 "His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires." 

The bible verses about Provision and rest are endless.  

My hope in writing this post is not to throw guilt on any person, but to start the wheels in your head turning.  Jordan and I live in a comfortable house, we have an extra vehicle "just in case", we have 3 healthy children, our pantry is stocked (and toilet paper supply), we have running water, climate controlled house, comfortable beds, clean clothes (a plenty)… and yet I have found myself wanting more, needing more, feeling restless, trying to fill the gaps of imperfection with counterfeit perfection.  I find myself wanting a bigger house, a cleaner back yard, a perfectly organized house, a the best school-choice, upgraded vehicles, a part-time-job to give myself some kind of false affirmation, a new hair style, an extra pair of shoes (although I have enough).  I find myself going down this spiral and I have to remind myself the lifestyle we have chosen to live cannot realistically attain all of these things.  I compare what we have to what others have, instead of being grateful for the wonderful life God has provided for us.  I tend to look at it as an itch for change, but in reality, it's an itch for more.  

God is saying to everyone in this moment in time, "Less."  


I pray each of us has less from here on out.  Less worry, less stress, less comparison, less sleepless nights, less debt, less on our plates.  

Just, Less.  




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