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The Dignity of Simplicity

 

The DIGNITY of SIMPLICITY. 

The dictionary defines simplicity as such:

sim·plic·i·ty

/simˈplisədē/

noun

noun: simplicity

1. the quality or condition of being easy to understand or do.

   "for the sake of simplicity, this chapter will concentrate on one theory"

       

        the quality or condition of being plain or natural.

"the grandeur and simplicity of Roman architecture"

         a thing that is plain, natural, or easy to understand.

plural noun: simplicities

"the simplicities of pastoral living"

The dictionary defines dignity as such:

dig·ni·ty

/ˈdiɡnədē/

noun

1. the state or quality of being worthy of honor or respect.

   "a man of dignity and unbending principle"

   • a composed or serious manner or style.

     "he bowed with great dignity
   • a sense of pride in oneself; self-respect.

     "it was beneath his dignity to shout"
   • 
     
   • In other ways of saying it: the respect or pride of natural or easy things.

I've been trying to keep things simple lately. Doing tasks, I break them down into an easy plan. Working my job, I manage my time doing work tasks. Even relaxing gives me a chance to focus on one thing at a time. 

I think sometimes we complicate things in life by overthinking about them. The more that we think about our problems, the more we can't see the simple solutions. 

Yet, we are complex beings. We have moods and bad days. 

How we approach those days matters. 

I want to be able to look at my situations I'm a way that I can handle them with ease. 

Jesus Wept

​

Let’s get real. 

Jesus is fully human and fully God. 

It blows my mind. 

He has emotions. Human emotions. Emotions that He expresses freely. 

He also has self control. Which is a fruit of the Holy Spirit by the way. 

He lets His emotions show but doesn’t let them rule over himself. 

I want to be like Jesus.

EDIT: I started writing this post and posted it not realizing I still had a few things to share. 

Today has been a good day. A Better than average day actually. Yet I’m laying in my bed with tears rolling down my face for who knows what reason. I don’t feel sad or depressed. I’m not angry or moody. The tears just started coming. And it’s ok. 

I used to think crying was for babies and weak people. So I rarely cried. 

But these days I have moments of tears. 

I lost a friend to suicide a few years ago. That hurts. 

I lost another friend to illness a few years ago. That hurts.

And for some reason the past few days the pain of those losses has been in the forefront. It makes me wonder at the process of grieving. It makes me question whether I grieved properly for my friends. Then I remember that there is no time line for grief. It’s a process. Often a lifelong process. And there’s no right or wrong way to go about it. 

Jesus grieved Lazarus. He grieved. Knowing that He was going to see Lazarus again, Jesus wept. 

People often joke that “Jesus wept” (John 11:5)is the shortest verse in the Bible. I know I used to joke about it. But now, I see and understand the profound truth in that simple sentence. 

How human of Him to weep! 

And the Word of God promises that one day God will wipe away every tear! (Isaiah 25:8) and that He also collects every tear in a bottle. (Psalm 56:8) (some versions say “recorded on a scroll”)

This means that there is a bottle or scroll with Jesus’ tears kept safely in heaven. Jesus’ tears have meaning to the Father God.

And I want to leave you with this. 

YOUR TEARS MATTER TOO. 

Every. Single. Tear. 

Please don’t give up on life. So far I’ve written about TIME and PERSEVERANCE. That’s what it’s going to take until that day that God wipes your tears away. And until that day, He is collecting each one as a precious treasure. Because HE loves YOU so much that He gave up His life so you can live with Him forever. 

You may hate Him. Or be indifferent. Or simply just don’t want to face the possibility of eternity. But you have a choice. Accept Jesus. Or reject Jesus. You may have already accepted Jesus.

The bottom line is that no matter what happens, you are loved with an everlasting love that even death cannot change that fact. It’s your choice whether to accept that or not. 

Jesus wept because He loves Lazarus. I bet He weeps for us too.

the need of perseverance

​

ROMANS 5:3-5

Perseverance. It builds character which produces hope. And we all need hope. Every last one of us. 

Suffering. We all suffer in some way. Physically. Mentally. Emotionally. It all comes down to how we handle it. It builds our character. What we go thru shapes us. It forces us to change for the better or worse. 

What is character? It is the mental and moral qualities distinctive to an individual. It’s what motivates your choices. You act out on what you believe. Where your character comes from depends on your upbringing and circumstances. Good or bad, your life experiences change your character for the good or bad. 

So how are you letting your suffering shape your character? 

Define your character. Figure out who you are. What you stand for. What you believe. 

This is what will motivate hope in your life. And hope does not disappoint. What does that mean? It means that hope is persistent. Hope is needed. Hope is something we all desire. It doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll get everything you are hoping for. It’s the act of hoping that gives us hope. What do you hope for? 

the value of time

​

The value of time. 

is important to you? What brings meaning to the way you spend your life? 

Honestly, my mind is foggy this morning. Woke up early to let the dog out and can’t seem to wake up fully. But I like this time I have in the quiet before my husband gets up. 

I have my coffee and my field notes journal. I’m contemplating. 

There are times when I wish the day would go faster and sometimes I wish it would go slower. It usually causes anxiety. Figures. 

The trick is to learn to be patient and realize every moment is an experience to live fully. 

Do I live fully? 

I would say no. I waste time. 

But you know what? The value of time isn’t always about staying busy. Sometimes doing nothing in the moment is exactly what is needed. Our bodies and minds and souls need rest. So the next time you feel guilty for not doing anything, remember that it’s ok to sit still and appreciate life. 

We live in the fast lane most of the time. Society says that we have to do stuff to be accomplished. Society is often wrong. 

I don’t believe that we’re to be lazy, but to accept moments when we have a break from the to do list and jobs. 

So what value do you put in your time? Those minutes waiting in the grocery store check out lane? Those moments at the stop lights? Those moments when you are so busy? 

Here’s a few ways to make your time meaningful during those moments: 

Pray. It’s just talking to Jesus. You can pray about anything you want! 

Reflect. Reflect on a memory or emotion that you have. 

Observe. Look around. Don’t just let your surroundings be blurry. 

Ask questions of yourself or others. You may or may not get the answers but it doesn’t hurt to ask! 

Research. Learn something new. We live in a world of technology and information. Use it! 

Finally, 

Embrace. Accept the reality that your time on earth is fleeting. Make every moment count! 

I have some errands to run and some chores to do today. I’m believing that it will be a great day!