The S.I.M.P.L.E Life - Part 1

The S.I.M.P.L.E. Life - Part 1, Stillness
By Rebecca Busbee

"Now devote your heart and soul to seeking the Lord your God."
1 Chronicles 22:19a

"Tis the gift to be simple tis the gift to be free, tis the gift to come down where we ought to be, and when we find ourselves in the place just right, ‘Twill be in the valley of love and delight.’"

—A Shaker Song

I love the mountains. Before my husband and I had children, we took several trips each year to the Great Smoky Mountains. Often we went with no agenda, other than to escape from the world, enjoy each other’s company and gaze at the beauty of God’s creation. We unplugged from life’s hectic pace and enjoyed God’s simple pleasures as we reveled in our new found freedom and peace.

Now that we have children, we have passed on our love for the mountains to them. Our oldest son, Andrew, is a nature nut. He loves it all—camping, hiking, fishing, birding and most of all, he loves God’s beauty.

This summer we took our first week-long family vacation to the mountains. The first three days were spent in the rustic serenity of a cabin at Table Rock State Park. There was no television, radio or phone—just a cozy cabin, the sounds of nature and breathtaking views. We hiked, biked and boated. Things were simple and uncomplicated, my mind was clear, and my heart was calm.
The last couple days of our trip were spent in the "glitz and glam" of Pigeon Forge, TN. Upon arrival, I experienced sensory overload! The boys were thrilled with the sights and sounds and their excitement was joyously unrestrained. However, things suddenly became very complicated. We had an enormous stack of sightseeing brochures but lacked a well-thought-out plan and youthful delight soon turned into frustration and chaos. Although I wanted the boys to experience as much as we could fit in and afford, I was instantly overwhelmed and secretly wanted to go back to the peaceful simplicity of our cabin in the woods.

This is the same struggle I experience in my personal life. I long for a simple, unsophisticated existence but the everyday "glitz and glam" of my schedule and activities threatens to rob my joy, shake my peace and divert me from the feet of Jesus. Please don’t misunderstand; I am not a do-nothing recluse. I love watching my son play baseball, serving on the PTO board and at my church, and I deeply love ministering to others through music. But if I neglect the simple treasure of seeking God and reading His Word, then I neglect that for which my soul thirsts.

In Psalm 63:1 we read, "O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water." You and I are thirsty. God tells us He can quench our thirst but instead of going to His well, we often function like the "Peanuts" character, Pigpen. We live in a "cloud of chaos" with our to-dos and commitments swimming around in our heads. Eventually our busyness wears us out and leaves us in a dry and weary place. Jesus is inviting us to escape the confusion so He can be our refuge in the fog. If we intentionally seek to rest at His feet, He promises nourishment for our needy souls. Matthew 11:29-30 says, "Come to me, all who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

God wants us to simplify our lives by submitting our plans to Him. In Proverbs 16:3 we read, "Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed." He knows the length of our lists, but he wants to enable us to live through the transforming power of His Word, and with the peace of his presence. Thankfully, even in our chaos we can start to simplify our lives by re-writing lists, moving God to the top. We must resolve to carve out time to pray and meditate on his Word.

Simplicity was a priority for the Shakers. The "Simple Gifts" lyrics convey it is a GIFT to be simple, and a GIFT to be free, suggesting there is liberating freedom from simplicity. When we seek simplicity and determine to throw off everything that hinders our walk with the Lord, we can enjoy the peace and freedom Christ intended for us.

Do you struggle with busyness? Do you desire a simple, peaceful life? Do you dread the chaos of the upcoming holidays—and the emotional, mental, physical and financial strain it may bring? Do you long for quiet peace and rest for your soul? If you do, I encourage you to seek the One who can provide peace and penetrate the pandemonium.

Use the following S.I.M.P.L.E. steps to guide you on the path of "stillness and simplicity."

S – Seek Jesus daily despite schedules and activities. Seek out time to be with the Lord through prayer and reading the Scriptures.
I – Ignore the television, phone, and email. Occasionally just turn it all off and unplug from the world.
M – Make resting a priority. Resting allows you to tune out the world and experience God’s peace and perspective.
P – Practice praise. Continually recall God’s power, majesty, holiness and sacrifice and offer him praise and thanksgiving. Praising God focuses your eyes on God and off of yourself.
L – Limit your time away from your home and family. Eat together, play together and make it a priority just to be together.
E – Evaluate and eliminate. Decide what is critical and crucial and what may be trivial and unimportant. Spend your time wisely and serve faithfully but never become so committed that you trade feasting on the Word of God for the dry and weary land of the world.

Seeking simplicity in a busy world is not easy. There are many days, I long for the simple solitude of our cabin in the woods. However I know, "The Law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul and the statutes of the Lord are trustworthy." The "glitz and glam" and hectic pace of life is sometimes unavoidable, but if we make sitting at the feet of Jesus our top priority, then we will gain wisdom and peace as we discover the real, true simple life.

The S.I.M.P.L.E Life - Part 2, Christmas

By Rebecca Busbee

I admit it, I’m a girly girl. I don’t like bugs, spiders, snakes or lizards. If it’s cold and slimy, has more than four legs and a forked tongue—I generally scatter, wince and call for my husband. However, there is one exception—frogs. For some reason, I have always loved their happy little, verdant faces.

When I was a child, my favorite amphibian was of course, Kermit the Frog. Although, Kermit was charmingly charismatic, eventually there would be another frog who would become even more cherished. His name was Ferdinand and for most of his existence, he lived perched high upon a shelf in my grandmother’s kitchen. We all loved that frog because of the scrumptious homemade cookies inside the belly of Ferdinand the cookie jar frog!

After my grandmother passed away, Ferdinand’s new home was in my mother’s kitchen on top of her refrigerator. However, one day, his removable head was dropped and shattered. Ferdinand’s new residence became a dark and lonely cardboard box in the garage. Several years later in May of 2000, my husband was diagnosed with Leukemia. During the Christmas of 2001, Andy was still receiving treatments and our medical bills were catastrophic and we decided to keep things simple and save money wherever possible. I am typically known for giving gifts that are unexpected and when I saw that poor frogs fractured head in the box in the garage, I knew I had to rescue Ferdinand and return him to my mom. Eventually, with my husband’s help, Ferdinand’s busted and broken head was restored. When my mother opened Ferdinand Christmas morning, her reaction was priceless. She laughed and cried and then told us the real reason Ferdinand was so special. Many years ago, in the midst of her own personal and financial trials, my mother gave Ferdinand to her mother. Not only does Ferdinand remind her of Grandmother, but he was also a reminder of the adversity she'd overcome. Ferdinand was truly a gift of sacrifice, however, for my mother, he was also a sacrifice that was well worth the cost.

Through my "re-gifting" of Ferdinand, I unexpectedly received a blessing in learning about the trials my mother had experienced. I also discovered that the simplicity of my gift equaled simplicity for our Christmas. Ironically, when I wasn’t consumed with searching for the perfect gift, I was more intentional on focusing on the Savior’s birth. Even though I surely did not desire the financial burden of cancer treatments, I did desire—and still desire—simplicity in my Christmas. And I want to keep the Prince of Peace the central focus of everything I do.

Admittedly, this is easier said than done. Usually, the busyness of the season leaves many of us distracted and depleted until we end up on auto pilot, praying for a miracle to get it all done. Ultimately, the true miracle of that glorious night is often missed and if we aren’t careful, we miss Christmas altogether.

In reference to the birth of Christ, Martin Luther said, "That He sunk himself into our flesh is beyond all human understanding." There is truly no way our finite minds can comprehend how the holy God of the universe, out of love for us, could leave his throne in heaven. And for what purpose? To dwell among us and offer us the gift of salvation and eternal life. Romans 6:23 reads "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." In addition, the popular Christian author, Max Lucado, says "Salvation is God-given, God-driven, God-empowered, and God-originated. The gift is not from man to God, it is from God to man." It was literally the greatest gift ever given and it’s free and irrevocable—now that is amazing love!

When I consider all that He is and all that He willingly did, how could I ever allow the message of Christmas to become just another over-commercialized holiday? Obviously, we know Christmas is about more than giving the perfect gift, baking the perfect cake or taking the perfect picture for our photo card, but somehow all these things seem to receive the majority of our time and energy. However, there are some practical ways we can simplify the season so that Jesus remains the central focus. And, in the process, we will experience the love and peace of Christ.
I encourage you to use the following S.I.M.P.L.E. steps as you seek to honor the Savior’s birth and discover the true joy of the Christmas season.

S — Share Christ’s love through various outreach ministries and acts of giving and service.
I — Isolate the majority of your holiday activities to the first three weeks of the month. Reserve
the week of Christmas as a time to prepare your heart, and fully focus on the Savior’s birth.
M — Make gifts to give and make memories at the same time. Become creative by making or creating a special gift. The recipient will feel more loved and you will feel more joy.
P — Promote proper perspective. Ask, "How is Christ’s birth honored by this activity or
spending decision?"
L — Less can be more. Don’t go overboard with excessive gifts for children. Try to limit them
to three gifts, following the example of the Wise Men.
E — Establish family traditions that focus on celebrating the birth of Christ.

The gift of Jesus is more precious than anything we could ever give and without a doubt the greatest gift we will ever receive. This year remember the lesson of Ferdinand and despite what the world screams, seek ways to simplify your Christmas and ultimately, you will welcome the Christ child in a more meaningful way. After all, He was the greatest Gift of sacrifice. And for the Father, He was well worth the cost.