Simplicity isn’t simple

I grew up on a farm.  I love it when I hear someone from the city comment about the “simple” farm life.  Granted that when I was growing up there weren’t a lot of distractions to sidetrack you from the most important.  Life then was simpler in that there were fewer choices.  But there were still choices.  We worked hard.  Sometimes when I share the stories with my girls they flinch at what I had to do as a farm girl.  I consider the stories just a matter of that’s what needed or had to be done.  The simplest thing on the farm required some form of manual labor.  You had to work.  You had to work hard.  I was the oldest of three girls.  I worked many times side by side my daddy.   Life on the farm was anything but simple.  It was work and yet in more ways than I have space to write, it  clearly prepared me for the ministry.  There was not a lot of spiritual training but there WAS plenty of practical, live your life everyday training.  I make many biblical and spiritual applications today by looking at what I did then.

Thirty-two years ago I left for the “big city”.   Sometimes, I will admit, I long for life on the farm.  I’ve been thinking about this word “simplicity”.  The word conjures up words like ease, less stress,  no worries, no pressure…..you can add your words.  But as with the farm life, though it would be considered simple or a life of simplicity, it was anything but easy.  I believe that the work of simplicity has to do with keeping a singular focus and  the farm life had a singular focus and purpose.  The purpose of making the farm yield an income to provide for a family.  It was anything but simple but it was a singular focus.  I think that’s it!

At the moment of this writing, I have a very busy professor/preacher husband, a 16 year old, a 14 year old, a Alzheimer’s mom (in the 6th stage) living with me.  I have two older spiritual daughters coming home one for a visit the other to work on her master’s at seminary.  I have two dogs, a mortgage, bills, bills and more bills.  A non-profit ministry is run from my computer and well life is anything but simple!  At this moment, it’s quite overwhelming – if I let it be…  Simplicity comes with great effort!  So in this season of hurried living, stress of finances and just plain busyness.  Two verses keep coming to mind…..

Simply but profoundly put by my Savior…

“These things I have spoken to you, so that in ME you will have peace.  In this world you will have tribulation, but take courage for I have overcome the world!”      John 16:33

“Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.”                          Colossians 3:1    

Praying you and I will keep focused on the ONE who willfully but simply paid the price so that we could live!