The Things of This World

 

 

Last year, we began.

 

The house was full, too full of things:

ordinary, everyday things,

which were just filling up our rooms and our lives.

They weren't necessary.

They weren't needed.

 

Things took up our time and our space. Things suffocated our lives.

Not in a hoarder way. Just an average American way. And we didn't like it.

So, we started to downsize, purge, reorganize, donate, and toss,

and we carefully considered what we brought into our home.



 

 

 

 

It has been a process.

We are still learning and still finding things to release.

As incredible as it sounds, we still have more things than we need.

 

Yet, we are reaping the benefits.

Our time isn't consumed with moving things, organizing things, cleaning things, or fixing things.

And, if I'm completely honest, for the most part, we don't even notice the things that are gone.

 

 

 

 

After all, they were just things.

~ Dorie

 

 

 

 

When You Want to Rest

He knows how to rest. In fact, quite often, I interrupt his rest, but he's never annoyed by my actions. He gives me that look. The one seen above. He waits, moves if asked, goes if told. All without ever complaining.

Oh, if only I were so obedient and trusting.

I'm not sure I know how to rest. I try. Every Sabbath I make a conscious effort to rest. Every evening, I do the same. At night, my head hits the pillow and I, for the most part, easily sleep away the hours which come morning seem ever so short. But if I am honest, it is more of a crashing than a resting.

Days can be overflowing, and even exhausting. For our family, we have begun to slow down. Yet this slowing down seems unnatural.

After all, it seems counter-culture to slow down. Busyness is what our society expects. No, our culture demands it by celebrating and idolizing busyness.

And, I, for one, am refusing to bow down.

I want more for my family than empty busyness. I want purposeful activities and events. I want times of rewarding labor and refreshing rest. I want to travel onward on these ancient paths, following His will for our family.

~ Dorie