How I long to be simple
I guess that maybe there are just a few things in life that are really beautiful . I mean real beauty, the kind of stuff that transcends life in this pit and gives you access to the mystery and wonder of God. Good Japanese food…ahhh. Sitting under a tree in my hammock, watching the leaves fall. A campfire with friends. My son Aedan scribbling. An F chord. The kiss in the kitchen.
In Ecclesiasties, Solomon seems to have arrived at a place of contentment. After a very full life – full of money, full of sex, full of ambition, full of drugs, full of himself – he becomes pretty raw and basic. “Fear God, obey Him, and enjoy the life he’s given you – everything else is a waste of your time.”
I’ve been thinking about this alot lately as I age. Often I tend to live life as a machine, programmed by my schedule. The demands of others dictate my daily activities and thoughts way too much. The pressing needs of the world failing around me are always calling. Where is peace? Where is rest?
I relish in watching one of my sons climb a tree, catch a lizard, eat a popsicle. In a few months, a little girl is coming into my life. One day I will watch her dancing for nobody. Her feet will swing in the breeze and her hair will swim in the grassy seas. And I will smile. I think about this and then I flip the coin. Here I am, this 36-year old kid. My Father in heaven is delighting in me. I was not made to pay bills, iron khakis, or wash dishes. PUT DOWN THOSE DISHES MARTHA! You were made to enjoy me, and I enjoy you most when you are doing such!
As I approach this new year as a man of God – a son of God – I am embracing simplicity again. This means that my life is about loving God and loving people, and that’s about it. In 2009 I plan to sit at my piano alot and waste time worshipping Jesus. I will curl up in a chair and read Richard Foster and C.S. Lewis and H.G. Wells. I will take my boys out for root beer and pizza dates. I will sit on my porch, smoke my pipe, and stare at the sky. I will take walks with my wife and resonate in her beauty. I will have my new neighbor over for dinner and take him up on that fishing trip.
As I approach this new year as a pastor of God’s family, I am embracing simplicity again. A good pastor friend of mine recently emoted, “Why can’t we just do the stuff they did in Acts 2 and not make it so complicated?” Jason, I wholeheartedly agree. Thanks for the heart check. The church I am part of will be simple in 2009. Back to the basics. Love God and love people with all our hearts. Love the Bible. Love on your kids. Give away your coat and money to the poor. Let’s have lots of meals together and play volleyball some. Let’s serve our city.
A Martin Smith song inspired me the other day. He says “Maybe I should just call my friends and play some music, be myself…if there’s a preacher here, come on and preach the truth. I want to learn more about Jesus.”
Lord guide me to be a simple man. Give me the grace to be like Mary in Luke 10. I sing with Martin, “All I want is you!” May my heart and the heart of my church family be drawn to holy simplicity. Amen.
Oh how I dream of the day I can resume those activities and all others that I can’t even remember, pleased me with their simplicity. These are times that try men’s ability to reason and act intelligently in spite of the unreasonable and unfair nature of our current crisis es. In some eastern language the word crisis is synonymous with the word opportunity. Maybe opportunity is simplicity. Oh how I pray, it is so! jhw
I can completely appreciate this and relate to it–we are so fully made to enjoy. (Can you believe how the enemy robs us of this simple concept?) I must admit that I, too, am guilty of stressing over the little things–of being afraid of disappointing those around me, or concerened with how my makeup is applied–but the truth is, we are here to love God and love others. I try to stress that to my son so much. He sometimes asks, “What if I don’t get into heaven?” But I tell him, “Remember, Aidan, we are only called to love God and love others with all our hearts.”
Thank you so much for understanding this truth, and for finding it important enough to impress it upon other people’s hearts.
I hope that I’ll be able to express love the way that you desire to as well.
Much love.
I love this. Very well written. Very inspiring!
Beautiful. Simple. Well put. Thomas Merton once said, “The spiritual life is not difficult, but it is hard.” May we all press into the hard.
Thanks for the reminder. Your words take me away to another world. I often long to be there. I guess I often miss those little moments. Or when I have them they seems too short like it’s impossible to live there. Even now as I would like to enjoy this moment of sharing my heart and seeing my thoughts expressed my other people, I hear my son waking from his nap. I know that this “moment” will quickly be over. I think it’s the rushing that bothers me. It always has. If I feel rushed I feel stressed. If I feel stressed I feel without peace. It’s not that it won’t be wonderful to go in and hold my waking baby, but I hate feeling rushed. I know I have to adjust because there is no changing the nature of life with two toddlers. I just can’t figure out how to slow down on the inside when everything is so hectic on the outside.
Julie
What great timing for such beautiful words about simplicity. God did not create chaos—He has always been about simplicity. He gave us a perfect job description that would keep life simple; love God and love others. He taught us to ask only for “this day” our daily bread and never to worry about tomorrow. Look around—the enemy has gone to great lengths to create a world full of chaos (distractions) and wants to drag us into it. BUT greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world. We serve a God that does not change—more simplicity that you can count on. I believe we are living in a time where God has provided us rich fertile soil in which we truly can get back to His Kingdom basics to grow in and to advance His Kingdom in. It is a great time to be walking with all of you=}
Amen.