My beloved mentor has a way of gently (but oh so firmly) calling me to a life of simplicity. It really doesn't matter whether the issue is activities, relationships, food portions or household goods -- Her basic priniciple is "less is more!"
I thought of her words this morning as I prayed with the selection from Isaiah 24. Everything in the world has a temporary nature. Everything is changing in all times and in all places. There is nothing that we can do, ultimately, to prevent the approach of death and deterioration of everything material....including our environment and ourselves.
Faith invites us to proclaim that if every "thing" as we know it disintegrates, God remains. At the core of all that is, there is the Love of God, and sometimes things simply do need to be reduced to the last "straw" of existence in order for that core to be our primary focus.
Back to my mentor..... her life is characterized by numerous stories of life's vacillation. There was a time, when she was around fifty or so, when her life as she knew it came apart. Her household and many of her relationships dissolved. She was reduced to her life's ground zero. She tells of those years with humble confidence (con-fide in Latin means "with faith") ... not with arrogance or self-righteousness. Her point is always, that everything can disappear, and God remains.
Now she is in her 80's. She is the manifestation of beautiful simplicity. Her wealth is rooted in her faith, and every word from her tongue, indeed, every glance from her eye, overflows with abundant love, and hope. Her joy abides, even in challenging, even unhappy situations.
Less is more. Glory be to God!
2 comments:
Sounds like she taught you well. I thought you were describing my mentor (which of course is you!) You are a blessing and your peace-full--ness and simplicity and faith keep me going when life gets difficult. You are passing it on. . .
If I am passing on even a fraction of the depth of my mentor's faith and wisdom, it is by the sheer grace of God.....
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