Simple, Simpler, Simplified

A Simple Day with the Sea Gulls and Dolphins

Off the Coast of Jekyll Island, GA

2007

Psalm 46:1 NIV
"God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble."

Many years ago, a friend of mine, an English teacher, retired and presented me with a special bookmark I keep in my bedroom where I can see it every day.

Inscribed on the bookmark are three words we teach our high school juniors when we reach the Transcendentalist Movement:  “Simplify, Simplify, Simplify.”

She gave me those words because she knew all too well that's the only way I can last my full thirty years in teaching before I retire.

Since I received her gift, I've tried to simplify my life. Henry David Thoreau defined simplifying by “Let your accounts be written on your thumbnail.” 

I've not reached that level of mastery. In fact, I’m not even certain how much my life has been simplified since I received the bookmark.

A few years ago I made a career change, which I hoped would simplify my life; instead, it's merely complicated and stressed it.

The older Allison gets, the more she has to consider. Already, the school counselors want her to select a career path, and she's so conscientious, she thinks she has to do this. John and I tell her we still aren’t sure what we want to do for a living, and we’re in our fifties. For some reason, this thought doesn’t soothe her.

After all those years of looking forward to having Russell move out of the house, now we can’t stand it when we don’t see him in weeks. He’s only an hour away from us, but he works long hard hours. We’re glad he has a job, and we're happy he lives on his own, but we miss him!

So growing into my fifties has presented me with some challenges. I know with God’s help I can continue to try to simplify my life, but maybe it’s more of a matter of readjusting priorities: putting God and family first and not getting so upset by issues I can't control.

God continues to strengthen me. I have to be wise enough to know when to set aside worries.

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Thank you, Lord, for helping me readjust priorities so I can

focus on you and my family better.