Warning: Extreme Minimalist Lives Here

I have often felt more comfortable having less, than having more. Less pictures hanging on the wall, and more bare drywall painted the color of my choice sets my mind at ease. Less clothing to sort through as I make decisions everyday as to what to wear. Less is more in my book. But, maybe I took it too far this week?                                           


  Exhibit #1, my refrigerator.
There are popsicles in the freezer and a steak and some frozen butter. The fridge has more to offer with it's milk, condiments, tortillas, and ice tea. There's not much in there folks. (Don't worry Mom, grocery shopping day is tomorrow.) This does not bother me. Does it bother you?

This is my cupboard where I keep the bulk of my non perishables. It's empty minus rice, peanut butter, crackers, and baking staples. Is this uncomfortable to look at? Do you want me to rush out right this instant and fill that empty space? (As a mother, I know I would say yes to those questions so my Mom is exempt from this question.)


I've been reading a new book called Craving God: A 21 Day Devotional based off the original book Made To Crave. The author addresses this thinking point-



We were made to crave God, an unquenchable thirst deep in our soul. When we use other vices to quiet that thirst for Him, we are cheating ourselves from a bigger satisfaction. 

After fasting 6 different topic areas for the past 6 weeks, I have a pretty good idea of what I crave. If you don't know what it is you crave, try fasting or going without something for a week. When we remove things from our lives, we quickly find out how important they were to begin with. For some of us it's food, others it's stuff and spending and still others it's control. But, what I would challenge you with today is that our primary desire in America is comfort in all of it's forms. What we want most in America is to have all of our wants and desires met so that we don't ever, ever feel uncomfortable.What if the Creator of the universe wants to meet all of our needs? What if the gospel is true and when we empty ourselves like it says, we find the One who loves us more than we can imagine. It's the upside down, inside out gospel. Go down to be lifted up, give to invest treasures in heaven, die to yourself to find true life. Constant comfort is the enemy of these things. When we go about our day with the priority of comforting ourselves with food, entertainment and stuff it leaves little room for God. Do we crave Him or these things in lesser form? It's a necessary question to challenge ourselves with. My comfort does not come in the form of a full fridge, or even the knowledge that tomorrow is grocery day. My comfort comes from the truth that Jesus cares about me more than the birds in the field and when I empty myself, there is more room for Him and His love.


P.S. I made this delicious looking salad with the scraps of lettuce, sunflower seeds, croutons crumbs and bottom of the jar olives that I found.

This is still more food with better nutrition than most Hatian children eat in a day.
 For more information read, How I Can Help Now.














2 comments:

penguinsandladybugs said...
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Hopkins family said...
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