Simple Living in the Boxing Ring!!

On Monday, I looked at whether or not I am called to live a simple life.  Based on the following scripture, I concluded that I am and it begins with being content with what I have!

• Hebrews 13:5 states  ^"Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”
• 1 Thessalonians 4:10-12 says "And in fact, you do love all of God’s family throughout Macedonia. Yet we urge you, brothers and sisters, to do so more and more,  and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody."

Today I want to spend time looking at how I can apply that to my life.  How do I actually LIVE out a simple life?

The scripture above gives us some hints as to what that life looks like....

be free from the love of money
love more and more
mind your own business
work with your hands

Simple is defined in many ways, but the way that I look at it in reference to life is:  easy to understand, not complicated.  This definition completely enfolds what scripture tells us a simple life is and sets parameters for me in my quest to understand what I am called to do.

So in order to apply simple living, my day should be

• free from the love of money
• I should love more and more
• mind my own business
• work with my hands
• act and conduct my business in a way that is easy to understand and is not complicated

Yesterday my day started simple enough!  We woke up early, did household and farm chores, spent time in the Word, enjoyed breakfast together, worked on several school subjects and then went out for a short hike.  I was soaking in the simplicity of the day!!  Then...

BAM!!  My sweet eleven-year old suddenly developed a high fever, so she was down for the count!!

But we held together and worked on.  We enjoyed lunch together, finished our schoolwork and then three of us headed out to work in the garden while one stayed in to bake cookies to share with our new neighbors and do some laundry.  My oldest daughter and I even got to take a break and go to a friends house to practice milking the goats!!

Dinner came and I got knocked off course!!  Our plan had been to roast hot dogs outside at the fire pit, but it was too windy.  I did not have anything else thawed out, so I began to panic!  I knew that I did not want to eat out, but I could not figure out what to fix for dinner.

Okay, calm down Kristi!!  I finally decided to go simple and make some grilled cheese sandwiches.  That went well and we were back on track.  Then...BAM again!!  That sweet sick daughter started having trouble breathing, so we were doctor bound!!

Drove 20 minutes to the clinic and they quickly started breathing treatments on her.  After a couple of hours, we were released with a long list of prescriptions to pick up.  I went by the pharmacy next door and they said they needed to see my RX card, my insurance card was not enough.

So....we headed back home to drop her off and pick up the correct card.  Thank goodness Farmer Willie was home, so we rode together to pick it up.

By the time all of this was over, it was after 10pm.  No one got to bed on time and the evening was a wreck!!

I went to bed very discouraged and wondering how in the world I could even write about simple living when my day was such a mess!!

That is when it occurred to me, a large part of living simply is learning to roll with the punches. 

Yes, I would have much rather just put natural oils on her feet, elderberry in her little body, had her drink hot tea with honey and sent her to bed to rest.  But that didn't happen!!  In fact, she is on a super high dose of steroids on top of antibiotics and breathing treatments!!

But you know what, that is life.  Life does not always come at us in simplistic form.  In fact, sometimes life just plain sucks!!!  (sorry mom for the potty word!!) :)

Living a simple life is not so much about what comes at you during your day, but about how you take that day on. 

I would much rather tell you guys that I spent the evening at her bedside crocheting a blanket while I kept her stock of hot tea and honey supplied, but that was not my life yesterday!!  And I don't think it has to be in order for me to live and maintain a Biblically simple life.

I just have to...

Prioritize my life in a way that is pleasing to the Lord and in particular, not have a love of money.

Love everyone I meet!

Keep my mouth shut about others affairs!!  Yuppers, no gossiping!

Work throughout each day, six days a week, in a manner and with an attitude that is pleasing to the Lord!

And finally I need to do all I can to keep my responses to life free from drama and keep them easily understood!