Image via Wikipedia This year, Brenton and I have taken the fast lane towards slowing down. One year ago, Brenton and I downsized our apartment and dumped about 1/3 of our posessions. We kept on giving away more stuff, until about 3 months ago when we moved into a 2 bedroom 900 square foot apartment in preparation for the arrival of our baby. Suddenly we have enough space for storage, and our buying has gotten a bit out of hand. With fall coming, we need to slow down and re-evaluate once again.
I think this path to voulntary simplicity started when my body got tired of being ignored and it’s pleas for me to slow down turned into a shout that left me [almost] flat on my back as I tried to finish up my last semester in college.
In February that year, right after an intense week of tests, I came down with mono. I was taking 18 credit hours and most of the classes were only offered once every 2 years. Thankfully, I had some very generous and understanding professors who worked with me so that I could re arrange some tests and deadlines. I dropped one class that wasn’t necessary for graduation. When I wasn’t in class or studying, I was sleeping.
Six weeks after getting sick, I was finally able to get a doctor to tell me what was wrong with me and I got some medicine. Re-gaining my mental alertness was a bit scary when I had been attending classes for 6-weeks in a fog. Especially since I woke up just in time for another round of tests and essays to be due.
I’ve never completely regained my strength after getting over mono. I fight my limits, but my body won’t be ignored. If I ignore a cry for rest, a migraine will send me to bed for a painful day of sleep and then a second day is usually required to recover from the migraine. Stress weakens my immune system, so almost ever vacation for the past 3 years has been accompanied, or followed, by a cold or a cough. I can fight my limitations, but I lose.
My body continually says to me, “slow and simple living is best.” The fight comes from the culture surrounding me that shouts, “Why are you resting?” In truth, I have been forced to question every lesson that I have been taught by this fast paced culture. In many ways, I have had to check out of the culture and Brenton and I have learned to live by our own set of rules. This weakness, this thorn in my side has necessitated our journey to simplicity. I can fight my limitations if I want, but the enemy is my own human frailty. The fight will leave me weak and sick and still limited by myself.
The thing is, accepting and living within my limitations has brought me to recognizing and accepting my natural life rhythms. Accepting that I can’t be it all or do it all has pushed me to evaluate my priorities and pursue the important things. I have had to cut out the things that were good but not best. I have had to simplify my life and my goals.
A while back, I wrote about life being like living in a travel trailer. You can only pack so many things into a travel trailer so you have to decide what is most important to live. Perhaps being forced to learn that lesson while still in my 20′s was a blessing in disguise. We all have to recognize our limitations; I was blessed to learn early.
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Wow! What a wise young woman you are! You certainly are blessed to have learned that lesson early on. I am almost 44 and I am still learning it. My husband and I are in the process of downsizing and I’m sure it will not make any sense to our friends and aquaintances, but we feel the Lord calling us in that direction, so we are following His lead. Sometimes we have to do what our heart tells us, no matter how it appears to the rest of the world. I am proud of you for marching to the beat of your own drum. God is proud of you too!
Love and Blessings,
Starr
I have been doing some contemplating on the meaning of “Sabbath Rest” through a couple of books I have been reading. Particulary, “Ordering Your Private World” by Gordon McDonald. There is an often (usually) ignored concept of simplicity and peace centered on God. I believe you are on the right track and it will bless you and your family.
Diane
I wish I really did “have it all down” with this simplicity stuff. The fact is, I do fight against my physical limitations, but I am learning to accept them and even embrace them. I think there is a strong connection between cutting out the excess, finding peace centered on God, and listening to His direction for my life. Beyond that, I just take it one day at a time.
I have had numerous physical issues for 15 years. Like you, I have been forced to have limitations. I have had to live simply. It has forced me to be in my home more than I may have been if I was feeling great all the time. God has done amazing things as a result of my physical limitations. I am very grateful for that! But I will be honest….I’m ready to feel well again! I don’t know if that is in God’s plan…but at times I am just sooooo ready!
This is such a wise and beautifully written post. Thank you for writing it – it’s really nice to hear someone else my age speak of this.
I’m 30, and I too have adopted the art of simplicity due to having had health problems since my teens. For me, it is so important to keep life simple and manageable.
I am very cautious of what I eat, due to my health, but I keep my meals really simple while also keeping them tasty and creative. This has allowed me to very easily incorporate a very nutrient-rich, plant-based diet into my life. I keep it simple – lots of veggies (both raw and cooked), fruit, beans/legumes, nuts/seeds, and on occasion, whole grains and maybe some eggs or turkey.
I’m very careful to keep my social calendar small as well. I focus on my few close friends and family – the people I really enjoy spending my time with. I’m pretty much a homebody, but this suites my personality though too, as I’ve always been an introvert.
I have hobbies that I thoroughly enjoy but that don’t take a lot out of me, like playing the piano, gardening, reading, etc. I’d like to do more volunteer work, but I give money, and I figure that at least enables someone “healthy” to make good use of it.
Basically, I try to live more like people used to live in the old days… except, I get to take advantage of all our new technology!
I too am thankful for having simplified my life in so many areas, and maybe one day I’ll regain my health (I’m always working towards that!), but I’ll still be so thankful for a simple life. Life is short. I prefer to enjoy my life and not be running around all over like a chicken with my head cut off… as I see so many people doing! Even with lots of energy, that has to be stressful! Here’s to the simple life! Cheers!