I have been feeling lately that everywhere I turn there is something new I *need* to have. I find myself making short lists, everything from Christmas presents to items I *need* at the pharmacy to beautiful home items, accessories and clothing online. There begins this urgency in the pit of my stomach, a feeling that if I only had this one thing or that one thing I would be happy, and I wouldn't want any more. Of course you're probably laughing reading this - because I imagine you've been there too. I think we all have. We are so easily deceived by the want of 'stuff'. I have begun to hate that in me. It hadn't as yet brought me to stop making lists or to search for the very best of everything out there (online, of course, malls overwhelm me). So I decided I needed to pick up a book I saw many years ago when I was a stacks-goblin (library page - there was a summer I worked in the basement and didn't see the light of the sun - cleaning, sorting and cataloguing the perpetual piles. The years I worked as a page I was commanded to be silent, never speak to a patron, reshelf and retrieve but never be seen = a goblin). The book is called "The Plain Reader" a group of essays by Amish and other plain folk compiled by Scott Savage. So I checked it out and have been reading it over the past few days, when I get a chance. It is breezy reading, but the ideas inside stick with me throughout the day and it has been completely absorbing.
The essays - by both men and women- all appeared in a small journal called "Plain" and cover topics from the spirituality of communal work, midwifery, how to hand wash clothes, how the Amish live without TV, personal stories of those who have left the world of technology for a simple life devoted to God, Family and Community. One of my favourite essays has been by a pastor who carefully evaluates the necessity of each piece of technology in his life. He drives a horse and buggy, from which he composes sermons on his high-end Mac Laptop! The mindset that all we do should be weighed against the effect a thing might have on our environment (which we are stewards of), the community, and our own souls. This goes beyond media choices to whether media should be welcome at all. I wonder what it would really be like to own nothing in this world, and not want for anything! Here is another short excerpt :
"The story is told of a man from the big city who moved to the country. It happened that the house and lot he bought were right in the middle of a community of plain people. The big-city man was a bit apprehensive about these bearded men who had no power lines connected to their buildings and who drove to town behind the clip-clop of horse hooves. But he assured himself that they looked gentle enough, and he had always heard that although they were different, they were quite harmless.
He was reassured on moving day when one of his plain neighbors showed up to help him unload his many belongings. The neighbor’s strong back and willing muscles came in handy, as without comment he helped carry in the usual North American assortment of electrical appliances and labor-saving, comfort-producing gadgets. That evening before leaving for his home, the plain man motioned toward all the appliances he had helped unload, and said to the big-city man, “Now, if any of these things break down, don’t hesitate to let me know, and I’ll come over.”
The man from the big city was completely taken by surprise, but quite pleased. “Oh, that’s nice,” he exclaimed. “Do you fix things?”
“No,” said the plain man. “I have no idea how to fix these things. But I will be happy to show you how to live without them.”
Wow. The first purchase we made moving into our little townhouse was a portable dishwasher. For the sake of our marriage, Jason said. It is wonderful, I love it to pieces. I would do nothing all day BUT dishes if it weren’t for it. I can’t even imagine a life where I was only reliant on people. It kind of frightens me.
One thing that glares at me from these hand-typeset pages is the contentment of these writers in being in the place they are! They are not discontent! This seems so rare in my world. I think about ten of my friends from highschool. Each of them are very far from home...(Sri Lanka, Japan, Cambodia, Haiti, Indonesia, England, Vancouver, Nashville, Germany, Burma,...) and only two are married. None have children. (I’m the weird one). I think this will be a hallmark of my generation - this wanderlust, extensive travel after school, and an attitude towards family as something which happens after personal fulfillment and not something which fulfills. But these plain folk - Amish, Mennonite and others are content in the place they are and see a life of living in community, hard work and simplicity as the good life. Not a fat paycheck or a full passport. To contrast, many of my highschool friends voiceably pity me. They don't know how I can survive in this 'awful boring place'. I wish I could say that it doesn't bother me, that I would always rather my life than theirs. I must admit that I really wish I had had the opportunity to travel (right now, even traveling to Toronto makes me giddy...) but I must remember how very full my days are here, and how all around me are still people I havn't met with their own stories and life is very full and rich. I still experience new things every day. I still learn things about myself, and about God.
I am praying that I grow in contentment. My reading yesterday highlighted to me just how evil discontentment is...
"Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. 14But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This is not) the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. 17But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace". James 3:13-18 ESV
The wisdom of this world - the voices, whether audible or not- that tell me to be discontent are false and cause 'disorder' and evil. That thing inside me wanting more and never feeling satisfied. That thing telling me that more stuff will heal something in me, make me worthy of something or beautiful or wanted or complete. The wisdom of people who live outside this world is very refreshing. It is full of mercy and good fruits. So I will be looking in the future for more wisdom. (If anyone is reading this, book or blog suggestions are welcome!)
I think today that part of living a beautiful life is seeing the beautiful where you are. That's my prayer today.
7 comments:
"Valley of Vision, Puritan Prayers and Devotions". It's amazing. I think it'll be the book, outside my Bible, that changes things.
Interesting post. Lots of good ideas. I think you need to know that those of us who are not "settling down to raise families" are not merely thrill seeking or chasing one experience after another. God calls people to do different things.. We are not running away from His plan or anything else and we don't devalue those of our peers who have stayed home. To categorize like that can be viewed as a bit offensive... We all have our lives to live and we all face different levels and degrees of discontent.
Thanks for this post - whoever you are :) - I didn't mean to come accross the way I did to you or others. I have had a few people ask me how I could possibly stay where I am in such a boring place, and what I think I was trying to say is that sometimes I wonder that too - and feel a bit sorry for myself. What I need to do is get over myself and seek contentment in the place I am. And basically not be jealous. I DEFINETLY did not mean to imply that those who have gone where God has led them are in some way less content, or doing anything just for themselves. I still believe that the general attutide of my generation is that a different set of experiences are more fulfilling than what our ancestors found fulfilling. I am trying to reconcile what I see around me, what I think I want and where I am. If I sound confused, it's simply because I am. :)
I second the vote for prayers in Valley of Vision. Steve Ovens recommended it to me eons ago. I would also recommend Richard Foster "Celebration of Discipline" if you haven't already come across it in Cell Groups. In that book he has a chapter on Simplicity, which is excellent. He also has a full book that expands on that chapter which I have not read, but Chris has and has been very helped by it. Maybe I'll just go pick it up today! It is on our shelf somewhere.
Thanks, Erika and Barbara for the recommendations! I will definetly add Valley of Vision to my list. And Barbara, I do have Celebration of Discipline, I did a study with that both in high school and university but have not read it since - I will pick up my copy again this weekend! If you find the name of the other book by Foster, I would love to know what it is called and what you think of it!
Yes, an actual title would have been helpful! Sorry about that. It is called Freedom of Simplicity (with the subtitle: Finding Harmony in a Complex World). I will let you know what I think and then if you would like to borrow it, you are welcome to it.
Thanks for clarifying your ideas. I think part of the reason our ancestors were able to be content with different things is because they had a whole different set of opportunities than we do. The world is more open for exploration these days and hence, women are able to do more things and go more places. While this is a definite blessing in some ways, it can serve as a complication too. What to do? Where to go? How long to do things for? What are we missing out on? That being said, whether we're traveling the world or staying more local, or living in the 21st century or the 20th we all have our challenges to face.
And I'm just as confused as you! :)
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