So reading along in the "Freedom of Simplicity" book by Richard J. Foster, I glean more mind stretching nuggets that contrasts the freedom of simplicity with the clutter of our lives now. Some exerts:
[Reworded]
Our world asks, "How can I get more?"
Are we asking, "What can I do without?"
Our world asks, "How can I find myself?"
Are we asking, "How can I lose myself?"
Our world asks, "How can I win friends and influence people?"
Are we asking, "How can I love God?"
We'll gain a great freedom when we surrender the need to possess. [Paraphrased]
Detachment frees us from the control of others. No longer can we be manipulated by people who hold our livelihoods in their hands. Things do not entice our imaginations; people do not dominate our destinies.
Silence frees us from the need to control others. One reason we can hardly bear to remain silent is that it makes us feel so helpless. We are accustomed to relying upon words to manage and control others. A frantic stream of words flows from us in an attempt to straighten others out. We want so desperately for them to agree with us, to see things our way. We evaluate people, judge people, condemn people. We devour people with our words. Silence is one of the deepest Spiritual Disciplines simply because it puts the stopper on that.
Prayer frees us to be controlled by God. To pray is to change. There is no greater liberating force in the Christian life than prayer. To enter the gaze of the Holy is never to be the same. To bathe in the Light in quiet wonder and glad surrender is to be slowly, permanently transformed. There is a richer inward orientation, a deeper hunger for communion. We feel as if we are being taken over
All those pieces resonate with where I'm at currently having bought a condo and am trying to be mindful of not being possessed by it. How to be appropriately detached yet a good steward of this gift? And with silence...I think of the different relationships/friendships I'm part of. It's been my mantra for some five years now that I need to "Speak less, Pray more" and I am still far from mastering it. Sometimes, I speak and reason with a friend I'm concerned with until I'm blue in the face before I remember I'm not the Holy Spirit and I need to shut up and just pray for the other person. Amazingly, just about everytime I've realized/done this, my friend will share the next day of how God spoke to them about the very thing that I was trying to convince them of. Indeed prayer is freeing! And will save me a lot of needless speaking! Ahhh....simplicity....