LMKTM: Simple is Best
My boys are never-ceasing founts of energy. They zig and zag and zoom all over the place at a rate that leaves me dizzy just trying to follow! Their voices seem to have the ability to magnify themselves without any electrical assistance. They are fast, fearless, and fun, and they make sure that I never have a dull or uneventful day. There’s more to it than that, though. Watching my boys has shown me an elementary, yet complicated principle over and over: Life’s greatest, purest joy is that which comes from the simple things.
What are the simple things? Seeing the joy on my boys’ faces when their dad walks through the door. It’s just pure, undiluted joy. They love their daddy and he loves them. Their laughter is one of the most pure, simple things on the planet. It’s not coming from any ill-conceived, offensive joke or at the expense of another. No, it simply takes over their whole being, causing their little bellies to rumble, as they watch our dog start in on overly energetic circles in the backyard, or when they discover a new noise their mouths are capable of. It’s pure, it’s simple. Their love is also simple. They just love me. Not because they know how hard we work to pay our bills, provide their clothes, or buy them toys. They just love me because I’m mom to them, and that’s all that matters.
The truth is, I’m far from a simple person. I can take even the most basic of tasks and seemingly twist it into something that is suddenly far more complicated than it needed to be. I stress over details. I make more checklists than any sane person should. And yet, when I look at my boys – their laughter, their love, their joy – I am reminded that I can easily strip past all those layers of complication and experience joy at it’s simplistic and best. It feels so freeing, too! Clearing away the crowded parts of my mind and indulging in some of God’s simple gifts is not only good for my enjoyment, but good for my being. It helps me prioritize, it helps me de-clutter, and it sharpens my focus.
Today, remember, simple is best.
