This morning, as on every weekday morning, my alarm went off at 5:15. I hit the snooze button one time for 9 more minutes of sleep ... and crawled out of bed at exactly 5:24. Our old house is cold in the morning. Some days it is well under 60 degrees in our bedroom. Quite a shock to the system!
Chuck crawled out of bed a few minutes later and said to me, "You would think that after doing this for as long as we've been doing this it would become easier!" I mumbled something unintelligible and we headed off to the Y for our regular 45 minute workout. Nothing to write home about, but we did it. When we got home, we felt good; ready to face the day!
I've been thinking about that all day.
We have this false idea about so many things we do. We think that hard things, countercultural things, things that demand discipline and focus and intentionality will get easier the longer we do them. For many of us, when hard things don't magically become easier, we end up quitting. So it is in our country with exercise, healthy eating, working on our marriages, financial responsibility, spiritual disciplines, etc.
So ... this was my major train of thought today as we come to the end of our 30-day experiment with "simplicity." What if this pursuit of simplicity never gets any easier? Am I still willing to make it a "way of life?"
Was it any easier for me today to shop at Fareway rather than at the more tempting Target? No. Was it any easier for me to buy generic rather than the cooler-looking name brand item? No. Was it any easier for me to check what I had stored in the scary dark corner of the freezer to see if I could use something there to create a simple meal? No. Will it be any easier tomorrow? Probably not!
But I did those things. I just did. Because I am realizing they must become a way of life if they are to have any real meaning at all. (I also failed at many things today, too. That, too, is a "way of life!")
And I believe, that just like exercising on a regular, disciplined basis, there will be rewards to this kind of simple life. Rewards like freedom, peace, and knowledge that in ways big and small we can participate with Jesus in the redemption of this world ... by sharing what we have, by reducing what we consume, by working hard to not fall into the dark abyss of consumption, by choosing to live as best I can in solidarity with the lost and the least and the economically marginalized.
So, here are my questions:
Has "simplicity" gotten any easier for you? And, if not ... is that okay with you?
What actions, habits, changes might you choose to carry into the rest of this year and turn into a "way of life?"
What do you hope some of the rewards might be in choosing to live a more simple life?
That's all. Nothing profound. But I hope that by stating the simple fact that we will always have to work hard at this ... it might actually make the whole deal a little easier. :)
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4 comments:
i'm not a good blogger, i'm more of a reader of others' blogs. :) but i just wanted to say thanks for the great encouragements/thoughts/inspirations this month. i take steps forward in simplicity in my life and then steps back again. but i'm encouraged to keep going.
so thanks for sharing.
p.s. one of my learnings....to create simplicity when getting groceries or toiletries, etc....Mark goes to the store. yep, all he gets is what is on the list and he may even decide we didn't really need that. :)
you don't get up till 5:15? Maybe you're not as disciplined as I thought you were.
Just kidding! I've been failing to respond to my alarm clock more often than I care to admit this week -- even as I notice how much I like the consequences of making those hard, good decisions you talk about, I really struggle to make them. Especially when my alarm goes off. WAY earlier than yours, sissy.
Or actually about 45min-1hr later.
-Andy
Oh, and my morning workout is much shorter and simpler, involving a walk over to the kitchen to make breakfast. A brisk walk. And it's really paying off. I think I'm going to start shucking some serious elbees verrry soon.
Andy - I am cracking up as I read your posts. I KNOW you get up earlier than me, so stop rubbing it in. I just sleep in a bit so I can "fellowship" with my husband who doesn't choose to haul himself out of the sack until 5:15, okay? Just trying to be a good wife.
When you get into your 40's you'll understand why Chuck and I have ourselves on such a tight leash. No part of our body, mind or soul is as forgiving as it was when we were in our 20's. The 40's demand a whole new regimen just to break even.
I guess that is a topic for another blog.
trust me on this one. Enjoy your 20's, my friend. Sleep in.
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