"...to be simple..."

'"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.
When true simplicity is gain'd,
To bow and to bend we shan't be asham'd,
To turn, turn will be our delight,
Till by turning, turning we come round right."
- Elder Joseph

"Simple Gifts" happens to be one of my favorite songs…of all times.  In the last few years I have been learning the true beauty of its message.  But as with all things spiritual, the depths to which we can plumb an idea is unfathomable in its inspiration, practicality, and application.  

This past week "simplicity" has been a powerful theme in my prayers…and in my approach to choices and decisions.  What is the simplest route to a destination?  How can I simplify a concept shared, directions for a recipe, the steps in accomplishing a task.  What are the simple joys of family?  How can I bring greater simplicity to my spiritual practices.   Little things like packing for an overnight, choosing a gift, praying with a friend, were more joy-filled and fitting, as I let simplicity be my criteria for human actions.

In the third volume of his biographical trilogy on the life of thought-leader Mary Baker Eddy, Years of Authority, Robert Peel shares Eddy's criteria for the workers in her household.  Eighteen years ago, after reading this biography, I adopted them as the standards by which I "run" my own inner household.  They are:

close attention to detail
strict neatness and order
a simplified and systematic way of life
and
a breath-taking genius for improvisation

It was once shared with me, by another of her biographers, that Eddy believed the fourth, that "breath-taking genius for improvisation," could only be accomplished after mastering the first three.

So "simplicity" and I go way back.  I love harvesting my life's baggage.  Clothes not worn are recycled, cooking is done is small enough portions so that we don't have left-overs, and I try to never touch a piece of paperwork twice…processing it the first time in comes through my hands as often as I can.  One of the ways that I have been recently inspired and blessed by the demands of simplifying my life has been in my listening to God when praying and giving treatment.  Simplicity has been a gift that keeps on giving.   

But this past week, right in the midst of this movement towards greater simplicity, I found myself wrestling with a decision that seemed so complex in scope that I tossed and turned for hours and hours in the dark trying to find direction and peace.

I lined up pros and cons, I measured and re-measured the impact of each possible outcome, I wrestled with cost analyses and the consequences…of taking the left or right turn…on everyone involved.   One moment the left-hand choice seemed so obviously right.  And in the very next moment, the right hand was even more right than the left.  I was so far right at one point that I had circled back to left because I couldn't remember where I was.  As you can see…confusion ensued and I was dizzy from the journey.

It was at this point, when it all felt like a blur of human choices between two rights and no real wrongs,  that a conversation with my husband brought the light I desperately needed.  I was in the dark trying to find my way out of the complex labyrinth I had wandered into - with all my human reasoning, pros and cons, weighing of cost, value, consequences and impact studies - when he called.  He had been harvesting some files and came across a note to himself with this statement (if anyone recognizes it and can share its source please do):

The simplicity of the Christ,
untangles the complexity of human affairs.

Something in me clicked.  All my wrangling and wrestling had been based on nouns.  Persons, places, and things.  But for me, the Christ is a verb…and is all about verbs.  Motives, intents, actions.  What were my motives, what was the intent, what did I need to be doing?  The nouns, the whos and wheres would fall into place, clearly, when I was sure of the verbs.  So then I thought about what would accomplish the greatest good for the greatest number…not me or him, or her, or them...but all. 

Which option was Christ-like…kind, non-judgmental, honest, selfless, pure, compassionate, humble, good, meek, caring?

It was clear…there was no decision to be made, no choice to consider…just a simple direction to begin walking in. I have no idea where it will lead. I only know that by keeping my focus on the simple verbs of Christianity, those verbs will give birth to whatever nouns are needed to carry out their mission and purpose. The same way that light in the first chapter of Genesis, gives birth to the sun. The verb, light (isn't this what the sun does...light our path, lighten the universe), came first...the sun naturally followed.

I'm looking forward to this journey.  I'll be embarking on a path I've never taken before…someone once said to me (and again if you know the source of this statement, please share it with me so that I can give proper attribution):

If you want something you've never had
You have to do something you've never done.

This level of simplicity is something I've "never done"….perhaps I'll get to that "breath-taking genius of improvisation" someday, but for today, tis' enough of a gift…to be simple.

Simply with Love,
Kate


If you love Alison Krauss and Yo-yo Ma's version of "Simple Gifts"as much as I do, here is the link to that recording as well.