Simplicity

"Tis a gift to be simple,
tis a gift to be free,
tis a gift to come round
where we ought to be."

The old shaker hymn rings with truth yet today.
Simplicity is a gift and yet it is a gift that most of us find difficult to embrace let alone give. This week I have been in two separate settings teaching / leading discussion on simplicity as an important part of the Christ like life. [I should note that I'm teaching this not because I have it figured out, but because I believe it is important and I'm willing to wrestle with what it should look like.] In both settings there have been people who have expressed a deep longing to simplify their lives of all the 'stuff' that surrounds them. Yet in all cases there was a frustration that followed the conversations with how difficult it would really be to embrace a simpler life style.

Why?

What would really change if I simplified my life in a very intentional way?

Any suggestions as to how you might have simplified your life and what you gained as a result of that change?