A simple challenge

As we kick off the month of March, I will be sharing some things I have been reading, hearing and learning....all having to do with the topic of simplicity. Simplicity in our schedules, our finances, our lifestyles, our homes, our relationships, and our sense of well being.

What do you think of when you hear the word 'simplicity'? Does it sounds like a soft sigh of relief? Does it make you think of a breath of fresh air? Do you imagine relaxation and peace?

I imagine that we each define simplicity in different ways. One of the words I would use to define simplicity is freedom. It may be hard to make the connection between simplicity and freedom, but in the coming days you'll begin to understand how simplicity and freedom go hand in hand.

I recently read a book called Living Simply: Choosing Less in a World of More by Joanne Heim. It's written specifically for busy wives and moms who desire contentment, who long for the kind of abundant life Christ talks about, and a better quality of life that is not filled with chaos and consumption.

I think this statement from the book sums up the way many of us are living: "I've found that living a simple life is more than just getting rid of stuff. Stuff is part of it, for sure. But it's also about full calendars, schedules, commitments, activities, and to-do lists. Like Thanksgiving dinner, a lot of it is good - nice things, people we enjoy, and activities we really do want to do. But we're too full - stuffed, in fact - and we feel a little sick knowing we just can't handle all those things our lives are full of."

This is a big topic to address, so today I want to start with one small challenge. Joanne mentions in her book how empty days on our calendars are rare and instead of relaxing and enjoying them, we use them to catch up on everything we've fallen behind on. So our 'empty days' become full and we don't take the time to rest.

My challenge to you is to look at your calendar in the coming week or two and find a day that doesn't have anything scheduled. Mark it off. Write Me Day or Open Day or whatever you need to do to keep from scheduling appointments, outings, etc. Hopefully this day isn't too many weeks down the road. I challenge you to keep it empty. Maybe it will be a day to relax with your family or maybe a day for you to relax on your own. It's not a day to clean, run errands and catch up on life. It's a day to rest, to relax and to have the freedom to do whatever you feel like doing when those 24 hours rolls around.

If you are inspired to take me up on this challenge, comment below with the date you are blocking off on your calendar. I'll pray for you on that date as you take this one small step toward living simply.