{Simple} An Update of Confusion

March was an insane month. I traveled, partied, watched, performed, competed, got sick, and felt overwhelmed. I wrote, erased, started, finished, succeeded, and failed miserably. I also remembered that I don’t function well with that much going on in my life.

Music City at night from 20 floors up

Many of my friends are go-ers. They have schedules that barely leave room for them to breathe, they plan more in one day than I can accomplish in a week, and they just go, go, go. While I am in awe of their ability to get things done, I can’t live like that.

Yes, we own a reel push mower

You can find “Simple Living Tips” all over the internet. Pinterest has thousands, if not millions, of boards dedicated to reducing stress, clutter, and worthless things from people’s lives. And that is awesome. But the only problem is, “simple” does not have one definition.

Anna, at Pleasant View Schoolhouse (one of my favorite blogs), appears to have the most ideal and simple life anyone could ask for. But her house has knick-knacks and children and cat hair. Modernists and neat-freaks would feel cramped and overwhelmed. (I, on the other hand, would be in heaven in her house! Vintage furniture! Sewing pattern! Music!)

Rose Beerhorst lives with several artist friends and makes her living by selling hand made rugs from her studio/house that contains very little furniture. That is pretty simple, but look at how loose and free everything is. An extremely structured person would freak out in that life! (I'd love to meet Rose some day- she seems like a very interesting and motivated chiquita.)

“Simple” has to change, depending on the situation and the person.

Keep Calm and Get Tan

I need a simple, scheduled, and free life. One where, if I wake up at six o’clock, I can get everything done by three. But you know what? That doesn’t always happen, and that’s where God comes in. He knows how much I crave a tidy house, no distractions, and a checklist that is completed every day. But He also knows that I need to be more humble than that. If everything is done my way on my time, I tend to leave important-to-Him things out because they weren’t as important to me.

A life that is so scheduled it leaves no room for surprises is also a life that leaves out room for blessings. A life that checks off every box, dots every “i” and crosses every “t” is wonderful, but where is the space for pulling over on the side of the road to help a mom change a tire? Where is the time for rescuing baby squirrels, or chasing a herd of run-away dachshunds (that was crazy)? Where is time to relax and pray?

I still live at home, and so I deal with four other people’s schedules and needs. And that can drive me up the wall. But God uses that as a blessing. Because I have to bend my “needs” around to fit theirs as well, I don’t get everything done. But I also have a schedule that is just free enough that the unexpected is always squeezed in.

An afternoon driving around trying to find a place with free wifi? Sounds good.

A morning “wasted” by an extra-long run/visit with a dear friend? I’m in.

You’re sick and need someone to watch your kids for a few hours? Call me.

Or, like today while I was writing this post, my bees decide to swarm? Who-boy, let’s go.

Squirting sugar water on the swarm to keep the bees calm until a professional bee catcher could come help me

Yeah. Simple is great, but it ain’t easy.

Misting swarm #2 with sugar water

So what is your version of “simple”?