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For the past six weeks, we have shared a Lenten journey with author Paula Huston and her book, Simplifying the Soul. Today is Easter, and I am celebrating the feast with a review of lessons learned and insights gained on the road to simplicity.
The first lesson is, perhaps too simple: It is not simple to simplify. Our culture adds layers of complexity at every turn. Whatever choice we face, the call to unlimited options is loud and insistent. Along with a sheer proliferation of numbers is the implication that we must choose the best of them all. How do we determine the best internet service, running shoe, religious practice, or vehicle for service to others? I have found that a simpler way allows some opportunities to pass without regret, and accepts that some of my choices are not-so-good (and that's OK too).
The second lesson is harder: Simplicity is not just another goal. We can make a complicated project out of streamlining. We can develop detailed rulebooks around eating, relating, spending, praying, and thinking. In the process we can exchange one form of mental and spiritual clutter with a new one. I have gradually come to see the journey in different terms. My life is simpler if, instead of imposing a structure of self-control, I ask instead for wise inner guidance and trust Its response.
I enjoyed cleaning out a junk drawer, carting boxes to the thrift shop, and unsubscribing to low-priority e-mails. I appreciated taking a day off from social networking. I learned from foregoing routine comforts and praying for people who have none. I faced up to resentment over interruptions, and changed my response to a ringing phone. Now that the daily list of practices has been checked off, I want to capture underlying themes and make them a part of my life.
Simplicity is not an end in itself. It is a means to the end of pursuing my highest priorities and deepest values. I don't free up time only to spend more on myself; I also clear the schedule so I can be more available for others. I don't curb impulsive spending only to save more toward a rainy day; I spend less on myself so I can give more freely to those who have less. I don't modify my standards of hospitality just to avoid work and reduce guilt; I do it so I am more welcoming of guests and engaged in our conversation instead of fearing their reaction to a cobweb or a microwaved meal.
It is Easter. It is spring. It is a time of new life, hope, and growth. The exercises of simplicity we have shared offer us a variety of seeds. Let's choose a few, water them, and watch them grow.
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