Simplicity

Living more simply is something I have been focusing on since being back home. I have grown up with the mentality that my day is a waste if I haven't gone somewhere and gotten a lot accomplished. I don't think that's true though. I think it is actually laziness sometimes that makes us go and do, because it is actually hard to listen to the voice inside of you telling you to  s l o w  d o w n. It's hard to accept Jesus' offer to make our yokes easy and burdens light. It's hard because our culture is constantly telling us things we need to buy, places we need to go, etc., and we are seen as a failure if we just sit and be.


With that said, I just finished reading Encore Provence, non-fiction by Peter Mayle (Encore is the 3rd of 3 books about Mayle's time in Provence). It was written in 1999, but in the late '80s, Peter quit his job in advertising in London and moved with his wife to the region of Provence, France. The Mayles gradually conformed to the tranquil Provencal lifestyle. Reading this book has not only made me slow down to actually read it, but given me a greater appreciation for life's simple pleasures. Here is my favorite excerpt from the book about Provencal life:


"Life has not accelerated, but still dawdles along keeping time with the seasons. The markets still sell real food that has escaped the modern passion for sterilizing and shrink-wrapping. The countryside is still wild, and unscarred by golf courses, theme parks, or condominium colonies. It is still possible to listen to silence. Unlink so many other beautiful parts of the world which progress and ease of access have made noisy, predictable, and bland, Provence has managed to retain its individual flavor and personality. This can be delightful or exasperating, like a difficult, cantankerous old friend. But that's the way it is, with no excuses. Take it or leave it."


In 2 days, I start my new job and a 30-minute one-way commute. I'll be working 7:30-4:30. Unlike the seasons of Provence, time will control my schedule. But that doesn't mine my life has to be rushed. That doesn't mean I can't enjoy the silence of an hour alone in the car each day. That doesn't mean I have to just "go through the motions" at work, counting down the hours till the workday is done, rather than investing in the people that God has placed around me. I want to live simply and purposefully, discontent with what my culture says is acceptable. Who knows, maybe I need to spend some extended time in the south of France to figure out how to do that better? ;)