An Abundant Life?

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Today I met a train Nelson stepped off of after being abroad for a month. My oldest son is a well-traveled man, having literally circumnavigated the globe, making lots of stops along the way. He flies over oceans like I drive to Walmart and never tires of travel, even in 3rd world settings. This is partly because creature-comforts aren’t that important to him.

Years ago Nelson said he hoped never to own more than could fit into one suitcase. Though he’s owned and operated a couple of businesses since then which necessitated larger-than-suitcase possessions, for the most part he’s remained close to his goal.

Nelson has experienced the freedom that comes with owning little. Granted, he doesn’t have a family with its accompanying need for “stuff,” but living life with a focus on trimming possessions to a minimum is a worthy objective for any of us. But keeping life simple isn’t easy, and because we so often fail at this, an entire industry has been developed to help us.

Life coaches guide individuals in the how-to’s of uncomplicating their lives, and TV’s reality shows about hoarding show us what can happen if we don’t. Most of us know deep down that we’re just one garage-full away from the same out-of-control scenario.

So we buy books and magazines that promise solutions to our overstuffed lives: Real Simple, Simplify Everything, How to Simplify Your Life, and Everything You Wanted to Know about Simplifying Your Life. Cover art for these publications stands out as different from the rest. Just looking at them makes us relax our jaws and take a breath.

And that’s the thing about simplifying: it stands out; we stand out. Living an uncluttered life of minimums goes against the grain of a society that’s currently promoting consumerism, accumulation, and the maxim that “he who has the most toys wins.” To live simply requires backbone enough to buck the norm.

When we moved from Illinois to Michigan in 2009, I learned how hard it was to simplify. Two packed houses had to be trimmed to fit one, which meant parting with lots and lots of possessions. The many resulting mini-separations produced stress, but when it was all over, our lives had been streamlined to our benefit. It felt much like going on a diet and losing all the excess weight. Lighter meant less, and less was simpler, and simpler felt pretty good.

Self-control is one of the gifts God’s Spirit is willing to give us if we’ll be intentional about following his lead, and in the case of simplifying, that translates to keeping a tight rein on accumulation. After all, Jesus didn’t even own enough to fill one suitcase.

And speaking of suitcases, it sure is nice to have Nelson home again. It didn’t take any time at all for him to settle in. When you live light, unpacking is easy.

“One’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.” (Luke 12:15)

Needing Help

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Tonight my blog site has a few additions: the cover of my book and a photo of Jack and me at the beach. My accommodating son-in-law, Adam, has faithfully managed www.GettingThroughThis.com since its inception three years ago and has been my go-to guy for problems of any kind.

Now, as a result of his fine work, my little devotional book is available in the margin and can be ordered by clicking on any of the web addresses beneath its picture. It will be ready for shipping next week, and my prayer has been and will continue to be that people who are swamped with grief over losing a mate will secure a copy and be uplifted by the short daily devotionals inside.

When I first posted on this web site, I had no idea I’d one day write a book that would be available in the margin. But then again I had no idea back then that widowhood would be the subject line. Of course God saw all of that and even now sees what might be posted in the margin next year at this same time. None of us should put anything past God’s doing.

One thing I’ve learned, though, is that whenever God puts opportunity in our path, he also puts helpers and encouragers there, too. Adam has been both of those for me in my relationship with this web site. Over time he has good-naturedly taught me how to use its features, and that has meant many repeated explanations of the same web task, over and over.

But Adam is a patient young man, and never once has he criticized his non-techy mother-in-law for being a slow learner. Because of that I don’t ever hesitate to ask him new questions, and I never worry he might respond harshly. God was the one who put him next to me in this web undertaking, and in these three years I’ve gotten to know him well enough to believe that even when I’m not around, he isn’t complaining about me. The fact that he married into our family was, as Nate often said, “a home run.”

Adam has taught us all by his example. He’s been willing to be used of the Lord in the lives of others, and because of that, God has used him. And the good news is that any of us can follow suit and experience that same lofty privilege of being a tool in God’s hands. So if we want our lives to count for something valuable, something permanent, all we need to do is tell the Master, “I’m available” (as Adam has), and God will do the rest.

“If anyone purifies himself from anything dishonorable, he will be a special instrument, set apart, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work.” (2 Timothy 2:21)

Getting Full Credit

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The widow who owned our cottage before us (let’s call her Jane) was extremely generous. In our negotiations before the sale, she asked permission through her realtor to leave a few things in the house when she moved out. We agreed, and she sent a typed list.

A few days later, our realtor gave us a second list, and eventually a third. We were glad to have what she didn’t want and said yes to all of it.

When we took possession of the house, we found out how enormous her generosity had been. She left towels, sheets, bedspreads, pillows, blankets, dishes, glasses, flatware, kitchen utensils, pots, pans, an electric mixer, a crock pot, a toaster, and a blender. We also found cleaning products, paper goods, and office supplies.

In the basement were tools, everything from vices to drills to saws and hammers, along with nails, screws, nuts, bolts and 3 levels. She left gardening gloves, clay pots, clippers and trowels, as well as brooms, mops, rakes, and snow shovels. There were beach towels and sand toys, snow toys and sleds. She even left a grill with charcoal and lighter fluid. And she walked away from all her furniture, including several valuable antiques and a spinet piano, complete with a set of hymnals.

Nate and I were stunned. Our plan had been to fill the house with garage-sale finds, a process that would have taken years of hunting. Through the realtors we offered to pay Jane, but she wouldn’t hear of it. We asked to thank her in person, but she declined.

After we moved in, we had a year of fun surprises, new finds tucked here and there, testifying to one woman’s extreme generosity.

What causes someone to bless others with such extravagance when there’s nothing in it for her? Many of us are willing to give generously if our name goes on a brick, is announced over a P.A., or is posted on a list, but what about just giving to give? Are we good at that?

Most of what God does for us is giving just to give. He does it around the clock, whether we thank him or not, because he fervently loves us. For our part, we’re often guilty of loving ourselves with such intensity we don’t notice what he’s doing for us day-in and day-out. Instead we categorize his gifts under “I-earned-it” or “I-deserved-it.” What a disservice to the Lord, since he’s worthy of full credit for everything he gives. Sometimes we even neglect crediting him for his most generous gift, the saving of our souls.

Jane was a powerful example to our family, and Nate’s and my thank you note sent through her realtor didn’t seem like enough. But God took care of that. He told the whole world how much he really loves “cheerful giver Jane.” (2 Corinthians 9:7)

“It is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.” (2 Corinthians 10:18)