Contributors
Another Way of Living
Anne Fillmore Palmer
October 2005
So do not worry, saying, “What shall we eat” or “What shall we drink?” or “What shall we wear?” For the pagans run after these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Matthew 6:31-34
Busy, busy, busy!!! That is how I would describe my life as a manager at a local supermarket chain. Summer, winter, day and night, birthdays and holidays found me at work. Weeks out of town, traveling to other stores, trouble shooting and grand openings, work came first. Work, work, work.
Not that it wasn’t lucrative, mind you! Wages were excellent, benefits even better. My husband and I were able to build a beautiful home, take cruises to the Bahamas and Mexico, as well as put money away for retirement. One might be deceived into believing that this is the Promised Land. I was certainly taken in!
Then, one day I began to wonder, “What’s it all for?” At about the same time, a visit to my doctor found my blood pressure was sky rocketing. With that in mind, along with an encroaching depression, I (with some strong encouragement from my doctor, bless him!) decided to take a leave of absence to think things over.
It took me six months of thinking, questioning and studying on it, to come to the conclusion that I could and should quit my job. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do, but I knew what I didn’t want an epitaph that read, “She made sandwiches for a living.”
So, I quit and began the long and arduous journey of finding where my path really lay. And along the way, I began to spend some quality time with my family: my sisters, nieces and nephews, and my very understanding husband. I was there for birthdays, baptisms and graduations. And I spent a good deal of time talking to God and looking for my place in life.
Then, one day, God spoke back to me and said, “Why don’t you work for me?” Now I don’t know about you, but ordinarily when God speaks to me it’s more along the line of my feeling led do to this or that. God doesn’t usually speak to me in an actual voice in my head, or in my untidy bedroom either, as far as that goes. (If I would have known I was going to have a burning bush moment, I certainly would have dressed for it!)
Not too long after this incident, a part-time position opened up at my church (the Live Oak Church of the Brethren), with the imposing title of Facilitator of Congregational Discipleship and Community Outreach. Oh my! I applied for it and was hired. In my spare time, I volunteered as Youth Director.
The impact on my life from taking on these two responsibilities was pretty all encompassing and covered a variety of areas. Through my job as Outreach Facilitator, I became involved with the local battered women’s shelter, which took me into the world of domestic violence, child abuse and sexual assault, and led to a better understanding of poverty, abuse of power and how the legal system works (or doesn’t).
Along with the youth group, I traveled to the Christian Citizenship Seminar, Western Regional Youth Conference, and National Youth Conference, where I learned about homelessness, mental illness, addiction and environmental concerns.
In my spare time (and now I had spare time), I read, scrapbook, and spent lots of time with family and friends. I’ve had an opportunity to get to know my nieces and nephews, to spend one-on-one time with them. Recently, my niece Kira remarked to me, “You know Aunt Anne, if you were still working at the store, we wouldn’t have the relationship we have now.” Boy, was she ever right about that!
So, how has this simplified lifestyle contributed to my sense of wellness? I have learned to relax and not worry so much. I began to think in terms of what I needed, not what I wanted. And after some practice, and realization of how lucky I am to have what I have, I just don’t “want” like I used to. I have turned away from the addictive “busy, busy, busy” and made time to live, learn and grow, time to enjoy relationships, time not only to talk to God, but time to listen and reflect as well. Isn’t that what another way of living is all about?
Simple Living
Eli E. Miller
November 2005
Simple living today is not as simple as it once was. There was a time when simple living was a matter of necessity for most people. Today it has to be a matter of choice and the choices are often quite difficult.
If we wish to live more simple lives the first question we need to answer has to do with our motivation. Why do we want to live simple lives in today’s complex world? As Christians, do we believe that the teachings of Jesus point us in this direction? We will not find any direct teaching in the Bible telling us we must live simply; but we find plenty of warning against putting our trust in material things or amassing wealth for ourselves. There is also plenty of teaching on sharing with the poor. The Gospel is proclaimed as good news for the poor. Just to live simply so that we can hoard more for ourselves makes little sense
One reason for simple living apart from Biblical teaching is to take control of our lives, to be able to channel our priorities, to enrich our relationships with friends, family and God. When we get so entangled with things we end up enslaved to them. When we buy too many things on credit, we mortgage our future and then we have no choice but to slave away to stay ahead of our obligations. Then we never seem to have enough time to enjoy life. Many people find themselves in this trap, then they think since they are working so hard they deserve more expensive toys so they can enjoy the fruits of their labor and the cycle repeats itself.
Another reason to simplify is a matter of stewardship. The book of Genesis tells us that mankind is to dress and keep the earth. Our resources are limited. At our present rate of consumption our children and grandchildren may not have much left. Already a large part of mankind is faced with hunger and lack of resources. Our goal should be sustainability.
We made a decision to simplify our lives about thirty years ago. We moved to the country from the city, where I had been a teacher and a builder. We didn’t have much money so it was somewhat of a pioneering adventure. We bought forty acres in the Ozarks. Land was cheap back then. We built a house using a lot of recycled materials. We grew most of our own food. We had milk goats, chickens and a few beef cows. The first six months we had no electricity or telephone. Eventually we raised and sold rabbits to pay for the additional things we needed. We had a ten year old daughter that we home schooled. I did some construction work in the community when we needed money. It was a good life for all of us. In more recent years our oldest daughter, a social worker, moved next to us and adopted a life-style simpler than ours.
After our youngest daughter went off to college, my wife and I, who were now about sixty years old, decided the farm was too much work for us and we wanted to move closer to the church we were helping to get started. We sold the farm and bought another one closer to town. Again it was forty acres, lots of woods and no buildings. We built a two-room cabin in about two weeks with the help of our friends and moved in. We used a lot of used material again but our cabin was very comfortable. We lived in this cabin for five years while I built a house out of used tires in my spare time. The cabin then became our guest house.
We still have milk goats, chickens, a few rabbits for meat and a big garden. We also have a greenhouse now so we can grow fresh vegetables year-round. We are seventy-two years old now and we still enjoy our life on the farm. Our health is excellent. During most of these years I’ve had to work off the farm part of the time to make ends meet but I’ve been fortunate being self-employed, so I could usually set my own pace.
Some important things to consider for anyone wishing to live a simple life are to have complete agreement and support from everyone in the family, especially mom and dad. It is also important to set your living standards in your comfort zone even though this may require some compromises. It is important to enjoy the way you live. Feeling like a martyr can get old quickly. We attribute our good health to good food, low stress and plenty of exercise. This alone is enough reason to simplify. We have also been able to volunteer time helping the needy and doing disaster reconstruction work.
It is possible to simplify without moving to the country. The first decision requires an examination of our needs and wants. The more we can simplify our needs the easier it will be. Turning off the TV, especially the advertising is a good beginning. Avoiding credit buying also helps. Living in a neighborhood with lower expectations may make it easier. Wise advice coming from the Bible says that ȁGodliness with contentment is great gain.
Claiming a Simple Faith
Ginny Mason
March 2006
Here I sit with my wireless computer keyboard in my lap, pondering the question of simple living! How can I possibly write something about simple living when my life is full of gadgets, technology and lots of other stuff? Can I even have a valid voice on the subject when I hurry from one thing to the next, write my “to do” list, and get more behind in my work each day?
While I can’t claim the simple life of the past, without technology and modern conveniences, I can claim a simple faith that has brought me through challenging times. When my life, and that of my family, was turned upside down in March 1994 by a cancer diagnosis, our lives became both more simple and complex. Inflammatory breast cancer is the most deadly and fast growing form of breast cancer requiring aggressive treatment. As my oncologist outlined the treatment protocol I began a series of appointments that dictated our lives. The calendar filled with times for this test or scan, doctor’s appointments and chemotherapy. Around these appointments we continued to go about our work, trying to maintain some normalcy in life, even if it didn’t feel very normal.
Following my first chemotherapy treatment, as my body struggled to adjust to the assault of the various drugs, we were able to arrange for an anointing service. In the interest of time, this was to be a private service, just me, my husband and another pastor/friend. As we moved through the various parts of the service my tired, aching body began to relax and I was filled with God’s peace. In the time of quiet reflection and meditation following the anointing, that sense of peace continued to grow and I knew in my heart that no matter the outcome, all would be well. In the midst of the chaos of my life, God used my simple faith and provided peace. It was one of my first lessons in “the simple life of cancer.”
My prognosis was poor, I was expected to live only 12-18 months, at best. While ominous, such predictions couldn’t take away our peace. Times with family and friends became more precious and special. I began taking more pictures to remember those moments and savor the times. The simple joy of laying on the floor laughing with my three-month old granddaughter as she patted my bald head were special memories to hold in my heart.
Once the chemotherapy, surgery and radiation were finished and the daily trips to the hospital changed to monthly, then every three months, people expected me to be “back to normal”, the way things were BC (before cancer). My hair grew back, my scars healed but I was different. I no longer assumed I would live to be an old woman. Even before my hair was back, I insisted on pictures of the five generations of my family, fearing I would be the one to break that impressive line. My grandmother was not used to this new, bossy granddaughter but complied with the requested pictures. Now that she and my mother are gone those photos are priceless.
My cancer diagnosis continues to make my life both complex and simple. I no longer do traditional bedside nursing, instead my patients are around the globe contacting me via various technologies seeking hope, help and encouragement as they face the deadly form of breast cancer that threatened to take my life. The simple act of giving myself to this cause has added complexities I never imagined. Attending conferences and meeting with patients and researchers frequently means travel as well as hours on the phone and computer. In my desire to give back for these years I have been given my life has become busier than before. My focus takes the form of simplicity of purpose yet does not seem very simple.
A favorite book of mine is Living Beyond Limits. The author encourages those who are living with a life-threatening illness to find ways to broaden their view beyond the limitations of their illness. Perhaps that is the essence of simple living, faithful living. To listen for God’s voice, calling us to step out in faith into new places, new experiences, trusting with simple faith that we will be given the ability to do what is before us.
I still need to work on clearing out the clutter of consumerism in my life, the nonsense that can clutter my mind, and the busywork that can clutter my days. As I celebrate another year of living since my diagnosis, I’m reminded of the gifts I’ve received from this disease. The gift of seeing life through different eyes, of learning to receive from others and just say thank you, and of knowing that whatever happens it will be all right. Clarity of purpose, peace in my heart and faith describe my complex but simple life.
Simple Living Can Be Full of Complexity
Steve Mason
Our neighbors are Old Order Mennonites. Many who view the simple life legalistically, categorizing technologies as acceptable or unacceptable, would see my neighbors as “simple people.” Those of us who drive cars and pull trailers with our pick-up trucks will understand when I tell you that “simple” is only “simple” when it is understood. The other day my wife Ginny made a comment about our neighbor’s buggy, and the horse “pulling on those double tongues.” I laughed, and told her that the horse doesn’t pull on the tongues, it pulls on the collar around its neck which is strapped to the front of the buggy. Horses and buggies may be “simple” technology, but to those of us who are inexperienced, the harness is still complicated. Just try to hitch a horse to a buggy if you’ve never done it before!
Computers are said to be a simple series of positive and negative, pluses and minuses. Lots of them! That may be true, but most of us don’t have a clue how that basic simplicity gets translated into the complex functions of which a computer is capable. That computers open up a world of information and convenience and that certain types of communication are enhanced, is without question. But to call this technology “simple,” because it can be easily operated, seems ludicrous.
Most of us are aware, I believe, that “the simple life” is not a matter of choosing the right technologies. From a biblical perspective, it is more closely related to relationships. “Simple” means letting your “YES” really mean yes, and your “NO,” really mean no (Matt. 5:37). What does that look like in practice? Well, it looks like “simple honesty.” Okay, call me a cynic, but we American Christians talking about the “simple life” is not without its humor and ironies. When the Annual Conference redefines “simple,” to allow it to encompass complexities, well, come on, that’s kind of humorous!
The truth is, we simply don’t believe Jesus’ admonishment that we not store up stuff (Matt. 6:19). We miss the call to right relationship to stuff, (Matt. 6:20) and what this relationship ultimately means (Matt. 6:21). At my most cynical, it seems like my denomination has abdicated its calling to simplicity and peace. Nobody really believes in the simple life or in the peace position. And then I am chagrined by my own self-righteousness. Nobody? Well, all right, when I think about it, I know quite a few people who struggle in very complicated ways with simplicity. I think the well-worn phrase “Continuing the Work of Jesus, Peacefully, Simply, Together” continues to be a good reminder of who we are, and who we need to become.
When the complexities of modern living and the imperfection of the Church make us depressed and cynical, I think a basic simpleness can tell us something isn’t healthy. When my theology causes painful or even broken relationships, something can’t be right. The answers to all of it, finally, are going to be found in the simple. Whatever simplicity our forbearers saw in the gospel is still in the gospel. Whatever truth Jesus proclaimed is still true. We may still long for the legalistic answer, but the legalistic answer is the indefensibly complex answer. The truly simple answer is love. Love of enemy, love of neighbor, love as Jesus loved. The golden rule, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you,” and it’s implied “Don’t do to others what you would not want done to you,” seems simple enough.
Will we head off into another round of complicating things with our “What about … this or that?” Probably. Interestingly, even the political world gets a little glimmer of hope now and then. Remember K.I.S.S., (Keep It Simple Stupid)? We pietists object to calling anyone “stupid,” but we need to genuinely affirm the “keep it simple” part. Maybe if we can keep it simple, there really is hope!
SIMPLE LIVING
The Beauty of Simple Living
Janet Kagarise
May 2006
The moment we awaken each moring, we are confronted with this day's schedule of events. Since we are retired, it is up to us to arrange our schedules.
Having the blessing of good health permits us to do activities involving others, such as delivering "meals on wheels." As members of our local Kiwanis Club, we support the Builders Club (Middle School) with their community projects, such as raking leaves for the elderly, Christmas gifts and Easter baskets given to our township office so that parents can choose appropriate gifts for their children.
Simple life accentuates the activities that are important and meaningful to us. In January we had the privilege of participating in the workcamp of the "Hands of Service for the Lord" in Reynosa, Mexico, building simple concrete block houses without plumbing or electricity. There was joy in working side by side these beautiful Mexican people and worshiping with them in their recently built church at the dedication service. We saw how God was working in their lives. One man, father of eight children who had been involved in gambling, had recently given his life to Christ and was now selling brooms, quite a reduction in salary.
Recycling has been an important element of our life. Helping to keep God's world as beautiful as possible is especially important to us. Driving is limited to necessary trips to visit friends, attend church events, and to buy groceries. Planting vegetables in our small garden gives us great satifaction as we are amazed at God's productivity! Recycling in another area includes buying items at Goodwill and other similar stores and contributing items to Goodwill as well. Having saved money in this manner, allows us to contribute extra funds to our church.
Appreciating God's beauty is a daily event. Because we live on the lake, we can observe the waves in various stages: If it is extremely windy, we see the white caps, or if the lake is very still, we view the calmness. Friends come to soak up the beauty as they gaze at the lake and relate to God's peace. It is a joy to share our home with those who appreciate the natural beauty of God's earth.
Seeing the full moon project its light on the dancing branches on the shimmering waves of the lake. Listening to the melodious song of the cardinal. Seeing the budding of trees announcing that spring is here inspite of unpredictable weather. And viewing the beauty of the sunsets with the magnificent radiant hues reflected in the calm water of the lake.
Taking time to appreciate the tender qualities of one's spouse and thanking God for the gift of that person's life. Seeing God reflected in that person as well as in the relationship with friends. Sharing in times of grief when our newborn baby died, but also sharing our many joys at weddings and other happy events of our friends. Sharing the happiness of several friends who now celebrate a decade as breast cancer survivors.
A common daily activity is our three-mile walk. This provides exercise as well as a time to communicate with each other and to appreciate the steers that sometimes come to the fence to lick our hands, to see the familiar dogs, some barking and others wagging their tails seemingly glad to see us, and to see several horses inside a fenced-in area.
As we quiet our hearts and see God's power and serenity with the sunshine giving its sparkling light to the waves, we are filled with gratitude for this new day. This to me is the beauty of Simple Living.
"Be still and know that I am God."
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