Last July, as I began to take stock of our lives I realised we were not going to be able to grow into our next chapter holding all this in our hands, to then have to add to it. I mean, it’s probably the same at your place, the third drawer overflowing with one purpose only, useless kitchen utensils or the plethora of toys they say they love but never play with. Ours included overgrown hedges, unwanted extra body weight, annoying cyclic debt, visual clutter, an overloaded schedule filled by others expectations, noise – like tonnes of it, obligations and activities we need to be at (not even for FOMO but because we made a commitment when we should have probably said no), too many options of what next creating confusion and chaos in our daily lives. I just wanted to stop, I wanted to press a shrink button on our lives and find room – overflow this life mansion into another. But I knew what was required of us, what He has been calling us to do. But I just didn’t know where to start.
I don’t remember who said it first, ‘when we have our hands full we can not receive more’. And I get it, it makes sense really, physiologically… like when I forget bags thinking I’m only going to buy like three things and I come out with arms loaded up, balancing my circus-act-way back to the car. But I liked my life, I adored what I was carrying. But it was heavy. Along with it, the weight filled something inside. Some need not being met. Some thing seeking hope. Except I was tired. We were tired. Like. All. The. Time. And no matter what I tried in reshuffling our schedules I still couldn’t fit it all in. I started pulling out of things after I’d committed to them. I dropped the ball here, when I’d said yes over there. I guess that’s the thing though… I was carrying too many things. I had picked up things that weren’t even mine to carry. Oh dear… am I alone?? Or now that I brought it up did you get the same little feeling inside your belly highlighting to you something you’re carrying… that you shouldn’t be?
We’ve often picked up things along the way, out of necessity, out of it worked then but isn’t now or maybe out of fear… of being irrelevant, not being in control, trying to solve the problem. To rise up we need to be unburdened, or at least strong enough to carry what we have in our hands. I believe we are strong enough to carry the call He has placed on our lives… It’s when we pick up everyone and everything else, we struggle.
To move into the new spaces means we have to find a way to re-fix our gaze, navigate a new focal point and make a plan, one with active steps to reduce and repurpose our lives. I see how Heaven holds its breathe waiting for you to rise up fully, unshackled. From your past, from the failure, from the fear, from the pain. You see, we complicate it by thinking we know best. We over complicate our lives with excess, which blocks an abundant life from Him. We are intended to decrease here (John 3:30) and there you’ll find Kingdom power. As we literally decrease our excess, an heavenly abundance can flow. The key is decrease in all areas. So what does that look like in a world that is stock piling toilet paper and preparing for this cataclysmic shift of unknown?
It looks like this. Accepting this imminent change will determine our world is going to operate differently from now on. The earth has been crying out for us to wake up and pay attention. We’ve seen it in our need to consume, in climate change protests, our attitude to waste, excess debt in buying and storing and buying more, drought and bushfires, economic strife, basic survival. It’s all been leading to this moment, this absolute need for us to Decrease. Slow down. Reset. Restore. Renew.
The power of decrease causes a shift; it’s an invitation to make room. And just so you know we’re actually not losing out here. In fact we are gaining so much more. Redefine our understanding of abundance – it isn’t about accruing more. No, it’s living in freedom. It’s about thriving, not in our belongings or our bank balance, but in our relationships, our lives and our purpose. Wealth doesn’t always equate to finance. It’s what we deem as ‘treasure’. Abundance is what we decide is valuable in our lives and having capacity to hold, steward and be generous with. It’s love, wisdom, peace, kindness, joy, happiness, grounding, stability… in the plenty. Last year defined decrease for us. We hit every area of our lives: I lost 16 kgs, we outgrew toddler toys and gave away our newborn stuff, we sold things we no longer found a purpose for – the rest we donated, we set boundaries, we made room for healing, learning and growing, we decluttered our minds and our home and we really felt like God was asking us to pay off the last of our credit card, it was tight. It sucked. But I learnt a heck of a lot about becoming good stewards of what we have, being resourceful and also reigning in excess of joy. I revisited gratitude as a daily practice and found I already had so much (even as I seemed to be giving so much away) and I could slow down to enjoy it. I also found out what was most valuable to me. Because make all our decisions – whether minute or massive, come from the foundation of our personal values.
We downsized our life and I started to see once we got rid of the excess debt, weight, toys, mess, commitments… there was new found clarity, clearness and lightness accompanied by a deep filling and satiation. Our hunger which once knew no bounds, no longer was a void to be filled with stuff. And that’s it, a lot of it, is just. stuff. This shift began to take place where I appreciated the room my life was given, there was breathing space physically, and mentally. I started to enjoy my life even more. The overflow has been free flowing.
The cavernous shift seems expansive at first, but small and practical steps can create a new and wonderful journey. Even with all the practical elements and tips you can find online, the greatest shift for me was remaining grateful for what we did have in the moment. Reframing and refocusing along the way. It’s time to pivot. This chapter of our lives, the state of the world is an opportunity. Because life. I mean…Shift happens. And when it does, it’s often realigning us with our God given purpose. And presents to us our reality through a new lens. One founded in freedom, and one forged in decreasing.
Shifts gives us a chance to reflect on where we our lives are bloated. Life pivots us to redirect us, and whilst this sometimes happens to us, we are rendered with little choice but to step into what is presented before us. I think pivot points naturally bring us into a state of simplicity. We are stripped back to our essentials. We can whinge and groan to no avail, it’s here and now we get to make the choice to reframe this moment.
We can, and WE. GET. TO. use this interruption as an opportunity to re-evaluate what’s most important to us, because how we will forge a path ahead will be determined by our personal values, our resources and mostly our choice of response. We become frugal when we are financially tight. We become resourceful when our resources are limited. We become generous even with what little we can give. We become strong as we unite together. Whilst acknowledging it sucks right now… The natural by product of this season gives us a clearing our schedules we might not of otherwise had and presents us with an opportunity to reevaluate what is most important to us. And where we truly feel we are called to be. It might be affirming where you have been but it could also be a catalyst for change in your life. The tipping point to a life of spaciousness and room, only found in seeming loss.
Perhaps we can learn from this shift happening and seek out wisdom for a path forward. One where we are reliant on His voice and on His direction and yet aligned with our hearts desires, our hopes and dreams.
until next time… xox