Simple Gifts

There's an old Shaker Hymn, "Simple Gifts":

'Tis the gift to be simple, 'tis the gift to be free

'Tis the gift to come down where we ought to be,

And when we find ourselves in the place just right,

'Twill be in the valley of love and delight.

This train of thought has been making regular stops in my brain, for a few different reasons.  Most notably, I've been processing and pondering what I like to call "extreme simplification."  No, I'm not referring to life without an iPhone.  I'm talking about how families used to manage daily life with a limited water supply, no indoor plumbing or electricity, and (heaven forbid!) no internet.  Now some may view these ammenities as necessary, but they aren't.  Hardly 150 years ago, these "basics" were not even dreamed of yet.  Folks had to gather their own wood for heat, cooking and building.  They had no power tools, no microwaves, no fast food, no automobiles.  Many folks (particular those of little means) made their own clothing, often from salvaged material.  (If you are fortunate enough to have a relative or friend who remembers experiencing the "Great Depression" of the 30's, take them out to lunch and ask them to tell you their story.)

In a word, folks were resourceful.  The agrarian existence was the norm.

So, back to the train in my head.

By the hand of Providence, my family finds ourselves at a crossroads.  We were all raised in the city, fully accustomed to all of these conveniences.  But what we're realizing is that all of these things come at a high price — financially, practically and ideologically.  Now we're "standing at the station", so to speak, and realizing that we may have been divinely appointed to live without the financial resources to afford to continue exploiting these luxuries.  (And luxuries, they are — make no mistake about it.)  I think often about how challenging it may be — at least at the outset — to have to adjust to using an outhouse (seriously?), reading by the light of an oil lamp, working more with my hands and my back than I ever have.  Washing dishes by hand is not really a big deal, we've been doing that for years (only recently having enjoyed an automatic dishwasher)... but washing clothes by hand is another story entirely.  Yeah, things could go that way, but...

...'Tis the gift to be simple.

So now, we are looking to invest what modest funding we have in the basics of an agrarian existence:

• Oil lamps
• Wood cookstove
• Firearms and a dog or two (Yessss! :-)
• Small livestock
• Hand Tools, etc — and most importantly:
• LAND.  I figure we'll need at least 3 acres, Lord willing.

Gotta unload the pricy mini-van (with its steep payment) and get a cheap ol' Crew-Cab Truck.  (Yes, I know they didn't have these a century ago, but some conveniences are pretty justifiable.)  Lots of adjustments to make, for sure... Lord help us, we're gonna be "pioneers", of sorts.  (If I wrote a book about our journey, would you read it?)

Yes, we are at a crossroads.  And I know in my heart-of-hearts that taking this simple direction will be the right thing to do, for generations to come.  Lord, make us resourceful.