Simplicity and the Road of Least Worry

Thanksgiving has come and gone for 2010...can you believe it?! This year is just FLYING by! I've heard as you get older, time goes by faster...and I'm finding it to be true. I'm not quite sure what to think of that. Is time really going by faster, or is it the older you get the more wrapped up in busyness, bills, activities, to-do lists, etc? If you think about it, when you're little, your biggest worry is building your barbie house and dressing perfect for Ken. Life revolves around not getting BORED. How many of us can say there are very many times these days that you find yourself trying to run away from boredom? There may be a few, but not many...in fact, most of the time we are looking for a small glimpse of time or reason to sit around and do NOTHING! Most of the time we are consumed with stress and worry.

Stress and Worry. Two bad guys that steal our joy and freedom. Two things that Wonder Woman quite frankly needs to whip in the butt!

My brother and I were over at our sister's house the other day and watched as our 3 year old nephew ran out of the shower butt-naked and said "just wait a minute guys, I gotta get some clothes on!". No care in the world (and might I add, no shame in running around the house naked!) My brother turned and looked at me and asked if I remembered what it was like to not have a care in the world? To wake up knowing that I would be taken care of. That all my needs would be met. That my biggest choices in life would be what book I wanted read to me before I went to bed or what toy I wanted to play with. I laughed in agreement, remembering those good ol' days (oh how we don't realize then that we're taking them for granted!).

As I thought about it a little bit more, I realized I SHOULD be waking up with that same feeling--resting in the peace of knowing that I WILL be taken care of. God tells us not to worry. "Look at the birds. They don't plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren't you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?" Matthew 6:26-27

I have been reading "Crazy Love" by Francis Chan with our Life Group (it's awesome by the way!) and here is the insight Francis shares: "Worry implies that we don't quite trust that God is big enough, powerful enough, or loving enough to take care of what's happening in our lives. Stress says that the things we are involved in are important enough to merit our impatience, our lack of grace toward others, or our tight grip of control." WOW. I don't know about you guys, but when I get stressed, I definitely lack grace toward others and am more impatient...it sucks! I don't want to be like that. I want to trust that God IS big enough, powerful enough, and loving enough. He is.

Although it is easier said than done, my prayer (especially during this hectic season) is that we can all practice the life of simplicity (aka less stress) and the "road of least worry". Rest in the Father's hands, my friends. And I'll channel my inner-5 year old and focus on fixing up my house and dressing perfect for Eric :)






P.S. How do you practice leading a life of simplicity? What do you do to stop the worry? Please share by posting a comment!