The Simple Life


Like most of you, my daily life often seems to whiz by leaving me little time to sit quietly and think.  Being a mom to three busy kids, working at the school, and wife to a man with two pretty full time jobs makes for days that have little time to spare.  I love our life and feel very strongly that we are where God has placed us for this season.  I wouldn’t trade it for anything.  But when we have the chance to change pace I deeply appreciate it. 


We were given a generous monetary gift a little over a year ago with no strings attached and told to use it however we would like.  We thought about it for a while and prayed about what it seemed like would be best for our family.  Saving money is always nice, spending it to buy the new furniture we need was also tempting, but in the end people we love/relationships we cherish always win out for us.  So we decided to wait for our couches to really break apart J and use the money instead to travel to Austria to visit Rob’s sister and her family.  We lived nearby to them for all the years that my oldest two were little and the bond we all share is deep.  They left China more than two years ago now.  We were unprepared for their move, and the following year was hard for us all.  No family for Thanksgiving, Birthdays, or Christmas.  Our celebrations felt empty.  The time difference makes video chatting very difficult and two years in we were all deeply feeling the separation.  So for us being handed the opportunity to go see them is a special gift. 


We have the precious blessing of spending the month of July sitting in the fantastically beautiful countryside of Austria and reconnecting with our family who are also our very dear friends.  For each of us it’s a blessing.  Austria is beautiful: mountains always in the distance, rolling hills full of forest, farms full of cows and goats, well spaced and neatly kept chalet styled homes with full flower beds.  It truly is lovely.  A little bit like stepping back in time in many ways.  The stores and businesses all close by 7pm at the latest.  Nothing is open on Sunday.  A bit frustrating if you happen to run out of something or even if you want to put gas in your car, but for family style life it’s really nice.  Grocery stores are smaller with less choices, food is healthy and fresh.  The baker delivers in his truck to your home if you wish.  Everything is clean, no litter that I have seen anywhere.  For us coming from big city life with it’s polluted air, suspect drinking water,  and trash everywhere, it’s a wonderful break.  Our lungs are loving the clean air, and our bodies the clean water and food.  It’s good for us to get this break and the chance to restore some of our health.  It’s even better to connect with those we love. 


It feels simple to me and uncomplicated.  Of course we don’t have jobs here, our bills don’t come due here, it’s not our home that needs maintaining, we aren’t paying the taxes here.  Life is still life anywhere you go.  If we actually lived here things wouldn’t be quite so uncomplicated J I know those things are true, and although I am loving this chance, I am still happy to go back to where God has given us to call home for now in a week or two. 



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I am reminded often, as my mind marvels at the simplicity of this place, how wonderful it is that the best things in life are often the simplest ones: smiles, hugs, clean water, fresh air, and sleep.  It also reminds me that the most precious gift of all is also the most free and easy.  Talking to a friend just before we left Asia, we were looking at the Roman’s road and I was telling her of my own journey to come to a relationship with Jesus Christ.  As we read through the verses, she said, “But it’s too easy”.  And it caused me to stop and marvel again at the wonder of the cross; the free and easy path to salvation that is offered to each of us through the death and resurrection of Jesus.  The gift of forgiveness and eternal life that we are offered can’t be bought and can’t be earned, it can only be taken in simple childlike faith.  This past month in my devotions through Roman’s these verses were put up for weekly memorization.  I’ve memorized them long ago, but it was still just as sweet to meditate on them and the free and simple gift that they represent.  The best thing in life IS free to you and free to me.  It really is so simple.  I hope you know that and I hope you are clinging to it.  What freedom it brings. 

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