I wanna live simply

"How did I get all of this STUFF!"

I don't know if you have ever had this thought while trying to clean your house, organize a room, or just while simply trying to find something. There has been many a time that I have gotten so frustrated with clutter and "stuff" in general. I don't know if you ever feel this way, but sometimes it seems like I just buy things, use them for a bit, the novelty wares off, and it goes under some pile, in a box somewhere, or in the back of the closet to collect dust. Three years later, I'm trying to find it underneath all the rest of the things I have gotten since then, and I find myself wondering in frustration...how did I get all of this stuff?

As we are all sorely aware of, America has an awful habit of buying much more than they can afford, but I would like to know for all the debt our country is in, how much of our stuff do we actually use on a regular basis? Sit and think for a minute. How many of the clothes in my closet do I actually wear on a regular basis? How many of my kitchen appliances and cookware do I use? If I only had the things in my house that I actually use on a somewhat regular basis, what would my house look like?
Do I hoard things just so the one time in my life I need them, I will be ready? When that time comes, will I even remember that I have those things, much less where they are?

What I propose is not a extreme "give all your things away" concept to the point where you give away all your Christmas decorations because you don't "need" them. The point is not so much something that is quantifiable at all, but more a way of living and frame of mind. I want to live simply, use the things I have, and if I can realistically say I won't use something, then give it to someone who will.

Have you ever been on a retreat or trip where you had very, very little to keep up with? Maybe clothes, toiletries, and a book or two? If you have, then you have probably experienced the freedom that one naturally feels when material possessions are no longer an obstacle to everyday life. They tie us down, they bind us to the material, and if we are not careful they can actually take away the freedom and willingness to pick up and serve God wherever or whenever he calls us. C.S. Lewis says it perfectly: "Prosperity knits a man to the world. He feels that is 'finding his place in it,' while really it is finding its place in him." I find it fascinating that in Amish communities, being called "simple" is a wonderful compliment. How differently our society would view that statement. We would most likely associate it with the definition that means to be an ignorant, foolish, or gullible person. I think we are all familiar with the negative connotations with this word. What I want to focus on in my life is not to be simple (noun), but to live simply (adj.)

Simple (Adj.)

easy to understand, deal with,
not ornate or luxurious; unadorned
unaffected; unassuming; modest
not complicated
free of deceit or guile; sincere; unconditional
not grand or sophisticated; unpretentious
humble or lowly

Part of using what we have and enjoying it is firstly knowing what we have, and being able to get to it somewhat easily, or at least know where it is. When I first got married, we didn't have very much storage in our house, so we ended up stacking things on top of each other, nice things, just to make them fit. The result: We ended up using most of the same things we used before we were married because we couldn't actually get to the nice things without pulling out a thousand other things to get to the heart shaped pan. Sound familiar? One visual image of myself surrounded by a pile of things it took me 45 minutes to tetris into that cupboard in the first place is enough to make me say "eh...I'll just use the regular shaped pan."

God has given to all of us differently, but no matter what our lot, I think we are all called to live simply and enjoy what we have been given. If we do not use it, why not give it to someone who will? I have been on the receiving end many times, and can personally say that I am often blessed by others generosity. Ultimately Christ has blessed us with what we have, and it is not ours at all, but his. He gives and takes away as he sees fit, and we love because he first loved us. We often apply this to how we treat others, but shouldn't it apply to our material possessions as well?