Well, it’s becoming my M.O. – if life isn’t crazy enough, I get uncomfortable. If the last few years have taught me anything, it’s to be up for whatever. When I look back at my 2008 self, I cannot believe how fragile and easily shaken I was. When Jon was first laid off, he called me while I was in the car and can you believe I was so hysterical that I actually had to pull over on the freeway and stop driving. My whole world was falling apart.
But that’s just the thing.
It was my world that was falling apart.
It’s not until now that I realize we’d done just about zero in trying to find out what God wanted for our lives. When God would tell us to do something that was outside our 5-year plan we’d say, “that’s great, God, we’ll pencil that in for oh, say 6 years from now – we’re working on something else right now.” I don’t think I recognized that our disobedience was so blatant at the time, and God has sure let us learn that the hard way. But I’m grateful that at least He still let us learn it – to be allowed to move forward in our own complacent plan would have been a tragedy.
But that’s just the thing.
It was my world that was falling apart.
It’s not until now that I realize we’d done just about zero in trying to find out what God wanted for our lives. When God would tell us to do something that was outside our 5-year plan we’d say, “that’s great, God, we’ll pencil that in for oh, say 6 years from now – we’re working on something else right now.” I don’t think I recognized that our disobedience was so blatant at the time, and God has sure let us learn that the hard way. But I’m grateful that at least He still let us learn it – to be allowed to move forward in our own complacent plan would have been a tragedy.
In Haiti last fall.
So that brings us to now, and lately we’ve been nervous about how we might afford to move to whatever school Jon might get accepted to for the Fall. We’ve been crunching the numbers, trying to figure it all out. We had a little pity party; how could a family under the poverty line like ours possibly be expected to finance a move potentially across the world?
And then one day I came home and had a “what the heck” moment.
We have a whole HOUSE full of stuff.
I have 6 frying pans. 6. And a TV in our bedroom we haven’t used in over a year. And 8 coats and 12 scarves. And wasn’t that me complaining just this morning about how we are overflowing with toys?!
Jeez, what is my problem? We are NOT impoverished. We are fine. Looking at all our stuff, I was ashamed. We’ve believed society when it tells us we live in poverty and have a good reason to pity ourselves. We are in the top 5% of wealthiest people in the entire world, and we have the nerve to call ourselves poor?! Ugh, gross.
And then one day I came home and had a “what the heck” moment.
We have a whole HOUSE full of stuff.
I have 6 frying pans. 6. And a TV in our bedroom we haven’t used in over a year. And 8 coats and 12 scarves. And wasn’t that me complaining just this morning about how we are overflowing with toys?!
Jeez, what is my problem? We are NOT impoverished. We are fine. Looking at all our stuff, I was ashamed. We’ve believed society when it tells us we live in poverty and have a good reason to pity ourselves. We are in the top 5% of wealthiest people in the entire world, and we have the nerve to call ourselves poor?! Ugh, gross.
Poor is all about perspective.
1 John 2:15-17 (MSG)
"Don't love the world's ways. Don't love the world's goods. Love of the world squeezes out love for the Father. Practically everything that goes on in the world—wanting your own way, wanting everything for yourself, wanting to appear important—has nothing to do with the Father. It just isolates you from him. The world and all its wanting, wanting, wanting is on the way out—but whoever does what God wants is set for eternity."
"Don't love the world's ways. Don't love the world's goods. Love of the world squeezes out love for the Father. Practically everything that goes on in the world—wanting your own way, wanting everything for yourself, wanting to appear important—has nothing to do with the Father. It just isolates you from him. The world and all its wanting, wanting, wanting is on the way out—but whoever does what God wants is set for eternity."
Ahem. So. Right when I’ve been having these epiphanies about consumerism and perspective, some girlfriends of mine have been reading this book, 7 by Jen Hatmaker. With similar feelings, Jen and her friends took 7 months and did an experiment to find simplicity in a culture of prosperity and excess. Each month had a different focus, the first being on food – eating only 7 things for a month while focusing on how most of the world lives and how much food we waste in America. So wouldn’t you know it, our little group decided to follow with their own 7 experiment and I of course, (missing a little extra crazy in my life), am joining them.
So starting today I will be eating only 7 things until June. Chicken, Spinach, Avocado, Bread, Potatoes, Eggs and Bananas. It’s going to be a ride, but it’s chaos with a purpose, right?
So starting today I will be eating only 7 things until June. Chicken, Spinach, Avocado, Bread, Potatoes, Eggs and Bananas. It’s going to be a ride, but it’s chaos with a purpose, right?
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