And I Lay Myself Before, Cuz Less is More

Ecclesiastes 4:6

"Better one handful with tranquility than two handfuls with toil and chasing after the wind."

"We're going to have to move." I stared at my husband in disbelief as he said those words to me.

I was a new mother, stay at home mother. You mean we're going to leave the house we bought for our family? The house my son took is first steps in? The home I have been mothering in and caring for. The house that is right down the road from your parents, my best friend...

I had visions of my son growing up home schooled with my best friend's boys right down that road, riding their bikes over to each other's houses. I had thoughts of all the fun mom group events I'd hosted and having family over.

I am thankful for my husband for many reasons, but one is that he is so good with money. So good at keeping us ahead of the game so we don't drown. He is so overly supportive of me staying home with our son I couldn't ask for more. I praise God every day that I am able to do that. We were at a crossroads in our life. If we stayed in the house I would have had to open up the daycare I used to run again. That made my heart ache because I would be spending less time with our son. More time being stressed and tired! Our house had several fixes that were going to need done soon. it was getting harder and harder for my husband to care for the yard and the little fixes in the home because of his health (that's another blog post for another day).

So through agonizing talks, and prayers we decided to put the house up for sale. It went quick, and I was very glad because I did NOT want to move, so not having it drag out was very nice. Fast forward and we go to sign the papers over to the new buyers, I look at the wife and I'm like why do I know her? Then I realized I was in a dance ministry with her when we were kids! And later she was in one of my small groups when I was a youth leader at my church. I sobbed right there in the room with the realtors and everything! Our house was going to a WONDERFUL Godly couple. I just kept saying God is so good over and over. I needed that closure, God knew that. He is ALWAYS in control and has bigger plans than we ever will.

My friend had recently started listening to Allie Casazza and as I was cleaning out this giant house to get ready to move I started really thinking through why do I really have all this STUFF! It took weeks of organizing, sorting, boxing, donating and I vowed I will NEVER own this much again!

We sold and gave away so many things and each time something else left my home I felt a sense of peace. Someone else was getting to use/enjoy and item we no longer were. We made a surprisingly high amount of money that we were able to sock away to pay off my one student loan. We were able to donate to the youth center in my home town. The more we gave, the more my heart grew!

Jesus talks of the parable of the rich young ruler in Mark 10:17-31 and Luke 18:18-30. Go grab your Bible and look those verses up. Bonus if you take out a paper and pen and write them out! I'll wait ;)

"On hearing this, Jesus told him, “You still lack one thing: Sell everything you own and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me.” Luke 18:22

Do you realize how RICH we are! During this time I read Kisses from Katie. A beautiful book about a girl who left her entire life... her parents, college, her serious boyfriend; to follow God's calling in Uganda. The children were grateful for having empty cartons and bags to play with. They ran through the streets covered in dirt with SMILES on their faces, with hearts full of hope! Not because of the stuff they had, but because of the JOY in their lives because of Jesus! I highly recommend this book, and it just confirmed the direction I was heading with simplifying and having less possessions in my life.

Have you ever looked hard at the word possessions? The beginning of the word is POSSESS! How often do we let the material things in our lives possess us! Working so hard sometimes multiple jobs, to pay for pools, cars, entertainment systems, stuff we only use for half an hour on a weekend! Dragging our kids around just to purchase something we're going to consume later anyway. How much time and money do we spend cleaning, maintaining, rotating, storing our stuff? Our conversations with others become, "Hey did you get that new phone? When are you getting promoted at work? How'd the kids like that new fangled electronic, loud toy we got them?" We have become slaves to consumerism! To the latest and greatest! The bigger the better! Let me tell you as crazy as everyone thought we were for going smaller it's the best decision I feel we've made!

Matthew 6:19-21

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

Treasure in heaven looks like having more family time because we aren't stressed about taking care of the lawn, the broken fridge, the dryer that only works half the time. Treasure in heaven looks like being out of debt and having savings store up for emergencies. Treasure in heaven looks like being able to help someone in need by giving our time, finances, or possessions because they don't have control over us anymore! Treasure in heaven looks like my child telling me he's ok with the smaller toy because, "that's all I really need mom". Treasure in haven is my mind focused on Jesus, hearing his voice, spending time in his word. Not thinking of the next thing I can buy, how I'm going to have enough time to clean my house, wasting time looking for something because I have so much stuff in my home I don't know where anything is.

You want your kid to stop having a messy room? Get rid of all the STUFF! When my son has less toys, less noise, less clutter in his life he is so content! And I'm content too! I can say please go clean up your room and he knows where everything goes. All the pieces are there because he has less things to dump, less things for me to step on, less chaos! When given a whole box of crayons for a project he gets so distracted, when he has two crayons he colors happily. Children are not mature enough to handle all the responsibility of so many things! They get overwhelmed so easily. Even at the age of 2.5 we are able to talk through, "Look buddy you have a whole box of cars lets take some and donate them to a child who might not have any." It's instilling a grateful heart at a young age!

I noticed my son shuts down when we are too busy, and so do I! So I became more intentional about our week, our schedule. Rest doesn't just "happen" anymore we have to make it happen. I schedule one day in our week where we are just home and we rest, we catch up on his school and the chores and then we are refreshed and able to keep going with our lives. Sometimes minimal living looks like saying no to that volunteer opportunity, saying no to that sport because it meets on Sundays. Saying yes to a dinner around the table with your family! Saying yes to unplugged board game night. Take a look at your calendar and think what can I do without this week?

God has a plan of contentment for us, and by having less we can focus on the things that bring us joy! The things that bring God joy! Our hearts are full of Him rather than full of stress and chasing after the wind! That is my goal with minimal living. To find the things in life that bring me joy and focus on those. Take some time, turn on this beautiful song by Relient K, look up and write out the verses at the bottom of this blog. Let God speak to your heart. Lay all you have at God's feet! All of it!

Hebrews 13:5

1 Timothy 6:6-11

Proverbs 15:16