Longing for Simplicity
Luke 2:37
And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fasting and prayers night and day.
I read this and my soul longs for this simplicity. There she is kneeling. Praying to God. She knows that it is where she is called to be. Where she can do most good in the world . . . not out trying to force change but trusting and resting that her prayers are heard and he that hears is trustworthy.
I don't think I am called to the life of this widow. I am a mother and wife and I have responsibilities that I know matter to God and that he values. But, I can't help but wonder. If given the opportunity to live this way, to choose simplicity, single-minded devotion, would I choose it?
The thing is - I don't even choose simplicity now. I add more books to the reading list. More events to the calendar. More projects. More tasks. More. More. More. More always seems to point to better. But, I know deep in my heart that more steals my peace . . . . . So, why don't my actions align with my beliefs? I don't really have an answer to that except I believe I let the good rob me of the better.
Here is an excerpt from a written prayer I wrote a while back:
"Lord, help me to stop measuring success by the world's standards - how much I do in the day - but rather by your standards by how much I am connecting with you by how much pure love and joy I pour into others and all the things I do."
And there it is again. I pray that I won't deceive myself into seeking to be some kind of overachiever and lose all my peace and joy, that I am meant embody, in the process. Lord, help me stop being about building my own kingdom and glorying in myself but rather about building your kingdom and glorying in you. Lord, I pray that my heart would break over what your heart breaks. Show me, as I go along my day who it is that I should love and how it is that I should love them. Knowing that you value and care for those that everyone else ignores. In Jesus name I pray, amen.
And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fasting and prayers night and day.
I read this and my soul longs for this simplicity. There she is kneeling. Praying to God. She knows that it is where she is called to be. Where she can do most good in the world . . . not out trying to force change but trusting and resting that her prayers are heard and he that hears is trustworthy.
I don't think I am called to the life of this widow. I am a mother and wife and I have responsibilities that I know matter to God and that he values. But, I can't help but wonder. If given the opportunity to live this way, to choose simplicity, single-minded devotion, would I choose it?
The thing is - I don't even choose simplicity now. I add more books to the reading list. More events to the calendar. More projects. More tasks. More. More. More. More always seems to point to better. But, I know deep in my heart that more steals my peace . . . . . So, why don't my actions align with my beliefs? I don't really have an answer to that except I believe I let the good rob me of the better.
Here is an excerpt from a written prayer I wrote a while back:
"Lord, help me to stop measuring success by the world's standards - how much I do in the day - but rather by your standards by how much I am connecting with you by how much pure love and joy I pour into others and all the things I do."
And there it is again. I pray that I won't deceive myself into seeking to be some kind of overachiever and lose all my peace and joy, that I am meant embody, in the process. Lord, help me stop being about building my own kingdom and glorying in myself but rather about building your kingdom and glorying in you. Lord, I pray that my heart would break over what your heart breaks. Show me, as I go along my day who it is that I should love and how it is that I should love them. Knowing that you value and care for those that everyone else ignores. In Jesus name I pray, amen.
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