Simplicity.
Cold sheets and damp clothes. Space heaters, sweats and LOTS of slipper wearing.
There are many things that I took advantage of while living on land...like hot water for instance. Our water heater on board is a little rusty and we (Ben...) are in the midst of fixing that...so for now, we don't have any hot water. Translation: doing dishes or washing your hands can be a tad uncomfortable. Food storage is a little tricky as the dampness overtakes anything that is boxed or packaged. Thirty-five degree cabin temps makes crawling into bed after a long day of being away a death trap for anything living. Dark, cloudy and rainy skies make for gloomy afternoons and very short days. No TV (gasp) or wifi (bigger gasp) to keep us occupied for hours. This is our winter on the sailboat so far. It may sound uncomfortable to most, but I wouldn't change a thing.
Although this list of inconveniences sounds awful and filled with passive complaints, life aboard (especially during the winter...in Seattle) is quite wonderful. If being cold and slightly damp is the worst of threats while living on a sailboat in the winter then bring it on. After all, that's what layering, thick wool socks and space heaters are for, right!? Heaters on full blast and my fireplace app on the iPad make everything OK. And, every day when I walk down on the docks to our floating home, I stop and gaze across the harbor. The world stops. Fresh, salty air fills my lungs and I remember why we chose this uncomfortable and damp life. It's perfect.
This is living simply. Being intentional about positioning ourselves to achieve this simplicity has been a huge challenge with the greatest reward. It has allowed us to chase Ben's dream of becoming a professional pilot and has reignited my own dreams of pursuing music and writing. We have also been able to use our little boat to bless friends and family with the experience of sailing. Without the distractions of "bigger and better" and meaningless purchases that fill space without increasing our impact in this life, we are able to pursue a simple life and love deeper.
I continue to learn what this means...to love deeper. After all, its a little ambiguous. But, what I think it means, at least for now, is having the ability to give freely of my time, money and attention to those in my life who deserve to have more than just what's left of me after those distractions steal the rest. Maybe that's what Christ meant when he challenged us with giving him our first fruits...we immediately tense when we read these passages about giving because it's uncomfortable. And it is. Uncomfortable. Undesirable. And inconvenient. But I think he gets that. He doesn't desire what's left of us after we give the rest of ourselves to everything else. He wants the best that we have to offer so we can live a fuller, more impactful life. When distractions threaten to steal us away from loving more fully, we end up living a life that is void of the blessings that God so desires for us.
Is wifi bad? No. But can it be a crutch and/or a distraction from being an impact on people around us? Definitely. Is buying a new jacket or pair of shoes selfish? No. But if it takes away from being able to bless someone who may actually need those things, then maybe our focus needs to be redirected.
Just to be clear, I am in no way saying that these comforts are all negative. And I definitely don't think poorly of those who have theses things...in fact, I am a little envious at times. Nor, am I saying that we are superior to anyone else because we have chosen to pursue a simpler life...we still go to the movies on occasion, eat out when I don't feel like cooking and buy things that make us more comfortable. However, we are continually challenged with discovering what this life is really about and, we are learning that there's more to it than being comfortable.
I don't want to give what's left of me to my husband, to my friends and definitely to my God. And, choosing this life of simplicity has helped clear away the distractions that fog my ability to love deeply. I still have a long ways to go in this pursuit of a simple life...and several boxes in our storage unit to prove it...but I think I am beginning to understand what it's supposed to look like...and why I crave it.
Simplicity.
Living a life that is deep, rich and full.
I have a long ways to go, but I think I am just now beginning to understand what living simply and loving deeply is all about. And what an adventure it will continue to be!
There are many things that I took advantage of while living on land...like hot water for instance. Our water heater on board is a little rusty and we (Ben...) are in the midst of fixing that...so for now, we don't have any hot water. Translation: doing dishes or washing your hands can be a tad uncomfortable. Food storage is a little tricky as the dampness overtakes anything that is boxed or packaged. Thirty-five degree cabin temps makes crawling into bed after a long day of being away a death trap for anything living. Dark, cloudy and rainy skies make for gloomy afternoons and very short days. No TV (gasp) or wifi (bigger gasp) to keep us occupied for hours. This is our winter on the sailboat so far. It may sound uncomfortable to most, but I wouldn't change a thing.
Although this list of inconveniences sounds awful and filled with passive complaints, life aboard (especially during the winter...in Seattle) is quite wonderful. If being cold and slightly damp is the worst of threats while living on a sailboat in the winter then bring it on. After all, that's what layering, thick wool socks and space heaters are for, right!? Heaters on full blast and my fireplace app on the iPad make everything OK. And, every day when I walk down on the docks to our floating home, I stop and gaze across the harbor. The world stops. Fresh, salty air fills my lungs and I remember why we chose this uncomfortable and damp life. It's perfect.
This is living simply. Being intentional about positioning ourselves to achieve this simplicity has been a huge challenge with the greatest reward. It has allowed us to chase Ben's dream of becoming a professional pilot and has reignited my own dreams of pursuing music and writing. We have also been able to use our little boat to bless friends and family with the experience of sailing. Without the distractions of "bigger and better" and meaningless purchases that fill space without increasing our impact in this life, we are able to pursue a simple life and love deeper.
I continue to learn what this means...to love deeper. After all, its a little ambiguous. But, what I think it means, at least for now, is having the ability to give freely of my time, money and attention to those in my life who deserve to have more than just what's left of me after those distractions steal the rest. Maybe that's what Christ meant when he challenged us with giving him our first fruits...we immediately tense when we read these passages about giving because it's uncomfortable. And it is. Uncomfortable. Undesirable. And inconvenient. But I think he gets that. He doesn't desire what's left of us after we give the rest of ourselves to everything else. He wants the best that we have to offer so we can live a fuller, more impactful life. When distractions threaten to steal us away from loving more fully, we end up living a life that is void of the blessings that God so desires for us.
Is wifi bad? No. But can it be a crutch and/or a distraction from being an impact on people around us? Definitely. Is buying a new jacket or pair of shoes selfish? No. But if it takes away from being able to bless someone who may actually need those things, then maybe our focus needs to be redirected.
Just to be clear, I am in no way saying that these comforts are all negative. And I definitely don't think poorly of those who have theses things...in fact, I am a little envious at times. Nor, am I saying that we are superior to anyone else because we have chosen to pursue a simpler life...we still go to the movies on occasion, eat out when I don't feel like cooking and buy things that make us more comfortable. However, we are continually challenged with discovering what this life is really about and, we are learning that there's more to it than being comfortable.
I don't want to give what's left of me to my husband, to my friends and definitely to my God. And, choosing this life of simplicity has helped clear away the distractions that fog my ability to love deeply. I still have a long ways to go in this pursuit of a simple life...and several boxes in our storage unit to prove it...but I think I am beginning to understand what it's supposed to look like...and why I crave it.
Simplicity.
Living a life that is deep, rich and full.
I have a long ways to go, but I think I am just now beginning to understand what living simply and loving deeply is all about. And what an adventure it will continue to be!
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