SAYING NO to the hustle of complexity takes courage,
given the pressure to measure progress by solid means
(the source of endless conversation/comparison);
no one wants to feel left out, and yet…
the urge to escape, find freedom, persists
among those willing to brave simplicity,
live plain
THIS POEM is a call to live simply, to grow brave, to say no to whatever it is that might be confusing the issues of life for us, just now. We can say no, and it’s often an act of self-knowledge, faith, and courage to do so. Because there are consequences, reverberations. We can take the hit, when we refuse to clutter our schedules with what fails to bring true life, which is born from a kind of inner clarity, a knowing what we are about and where we are going. This clarity and the confidence it lends to our decisions (i.e. what we say yes to and when we say no) is like AIR to our spirit. Because trying to deal with the complexities of life without the freedom (the true freedom) to say NO when needful can be suffocating. We can feel smothered. And it’s often the ability (confidence!) to say no that restores us to life; puts us back on track, moving us forward toward the goals God has put on our heart to pursue.
This is part of the living the spiritual life. I talk more about this in my book, “Seven Spiritual Disciplines, strength for the journey.” It’s on Amazon.
Thanks for reading.