A time to be silent...

Nana always said, "If you don't know what to say, don't say anything", and lately I haven't really felt like writing or talking. 

Apart from a three-day migraine that kept me quieter than usual, and between spring cleaning the house (though it's autumn here) I have been reading books from the 1800s. During our homeschool years I studied and taught my children quite a lot from that era, but these past few weeks I have learned new things about the tenacity, faith, hard work, and ingenuity, of those who lived in a time when things were indeed simpler. 

Simpler in the context of less decisions to make, less to own, less to buy, and living a regular rhythm of days and seasons and years. They had less than we do now, but I truly believe they had more that mattered, and they appreciated the little they had, something we in a consumerist society find difficult, especially when bombarded with advertisements and huge shopping centres/malls.

To say my mind has been elsewhere recently is to state a truth. The more I read of lives lived 150 years ago, the more I look at my own, and the more I seek out the teachings of Jesus about what matters most. 

I am a regular declutterer, as I do not like to feel crowded by things, but just the fact that I routinely declutter shows that I am still 'collecting' more than I need. And that was a bit of an epiphany for me the other day. 

Jesus clearly directs us not to 'store up' - not to worry about tomorrow, not to build a bigger barn to hold what we've accumulated, not to store up earthly treasures...He tells us that we need not be concerned about what we will eat or what we will wear, for our Heavenly Father knows these things and will provide for all our 'needs'. He teaches us to store up true treasures in heaven. 

You know, I thought I had a good understanding of all that, but the more I look around our home, the more I ponder my earthly treasures, and the $ spent on them over the decades, and I've asked myself "Has this brought me joy?" the answer is almost always, no. 

I was thinking about Nana's grocery list, and how short it was, how she'd only written very basic items, and then remembered the meals we happily shared around the table in her small kitchen - simple, nourishing - and memorable because I still remember them! No wonder she laughed a lot, no wonder we looked forward to a simple meal of scones, butter and jam on Sunday evening, no wonder she never needed a delivery man to bring her groceries, and no wonder the only 'pantry' she had was a small half-cupboard beside the stove with curtains instead of doors. The top of it was her kitchen bench. It was all she needed, and I never heard her complain about needing more space or wishing she could buy different things. She lived contentedly. What we had was all we needed, and though she worked hard every day to keep things clean and tidy, she knew how to enjoy a 'smoko' break with a big pot of tea and perhaps some bread, butter and jam. 

'Smoko' is what we used to call morning tea and afternoon tea. There was always tea, and always bread, butter and jam, but sometimes we'd have cake or leftover baked custard from the night before. She enjoyed those 'smoko' breaks with me, and Pop if he was home (he was a shift worker all his life on the wharves), and never felt the need to fuss it up. Plain and simple ingredients, made for delicious simple meals. 

This week so far I have deep cleaned the kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, linen cupboard, and floors. Whilst cleaning out the fridges I decided to make more jam from the last of the season's plums. I always label them, and did so with the May 25 labels, but instead of printing up a fourth May 25 label, I used the leftover label from February. Its funny, but I have begun thinking about the little insignificant things which havent't really mattered to me before, and wasting one leftover label from February wasn't something Nana would have done...so I used it. How many small and seemingly insignificant things can I take note of moving forward? I think there will be many. I hope to follow Nana's example in new ways I've previously overlooked, or forgotten. 

You see, I just want to simplify, and remove as much of the life and mind clutter as possible, and hopefully live my life out in greater peace, contentment and gratitude. 

So, I am taking note of Ecclesiastes 3:7b and will be taking a blogging break for a couple of weeks. 

I'm enjoying the silence, and not needing to communicate much at all...my husband is like me, we're both rather quiet naturally at home, but this break for me will be one of observing more than talking or writing. I look forward to learning more as I read from times gone by, remembering Nana and her gentle ways, seeking the Lord and being taught from His words, tending the garden, slow stitching, remaking old clothes into new, simplifying our meals more than I have ever done before, and enjoying our dear dachshund Kelly.

I shall be praying for you all, especially that the Lord will open your own eyes to the things He wants you to learn (they may be very different to this season of my own learning), just as He opened mine. Who knows how these changes we make will affect our lives? But what I do know, is that it can only be for good, for everything from the Lord is for our best. 

God bless you, and I shall hopefully chat again late in May....

Hugs

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