"And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful." (Colossians 3:14-15 ESV)
Today my rommie and I took a micro van to a town about an hour away. Our kaamko Didi (a sweet, elderly Christian lady who comes twice a week to do our laundry and wash our dishes) had invited us over for lunch. I absolutely love our Didi, she always has a smile on her face, and a song in her heart.
I knew that she lived in a small house, and didn't have much money. Her husband is a pastor, and his church can't support them financially. But I was quite surprised when I got there, to see the two of them living in the flat above the church they pastor, in a room that is smaller than my bedroom. It held their kitchen, a cabinet/dresser, an armoire, and two twin beds. She busily cooked us lunch, and she and her daughter served us rice, potatoes, beans, and spinach with paneer (a tofu-like cheese that I have a very hard time ingesting).
I kept thinking, "I wonder how they can live like this?" Truth is, they barely can. The can hardly afford to live there, but they trust in God to provide for them each step of the way. We laughed, chatted, and visited for 2 hours, and then we were on our way. And still, I couldn't shake it for some reason. Why do they seem so happy to live like that? Don't they know what they are missing?
Then this evening my roommate and I met up with three of our friends and we went to have devotions and dinner at the campus where I work. And Peter, one of the house-dads, gave a great lesson on burning your worldly desires. Being thankful for what you have, and placing your dreams at the foot of the cross.
As he continued in the lesson, I noticed something...he would always say "the Jesus." Honestly, I giggled at first. It was a funny English-as-a-second-language thing. But the more he said it, the more it resonated in my heart. THE Jesus. Not A Jesus. Not MY Jesus. But THE JESUS. He is the only one. The only God.
And again, that familiar tune of "He is enough" was sung to my heart.
Didi has that. She has THE Jesus.
I want that. I have MY Jesus. But I want him to be more than that to me. I want him to be THE Jesus.
To me, that means He trumps EVERYTHING in my life. I find COMPLETE satisfaction in Him. Being disappointed about missing this season of The Biggest Loser (which truly is a heart warming show), putting my morning cup of coffee and breakfast before my devotions, and valuing money and recognition about Him have NO PLACE in my life.
That, to me, is the difference between living simply, and simply living. Without THE Jesus, your life just kind of floats. Not a lot of meaning or purpose. Not a lot of anything worth while. Just a lot of things. But living simply, that's where I want to be. I want to be content and satisfied with only THE Jesus.
I want to put my worldly desires away. To come empty handed to Him. THE JESUS. Knowing, trusting, that in Him I will find complete rest.
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