Tomorrow is a big day… at 6am, we leave the Indian hostel we have called "home" for the past month and begin the looooooong journey back to the States. We will be doing our final month of the Race in Atlanta, Georgia, and we'll be home for the weekend of May 21st and 22nd.
As my team and I packed today, a few things came to my attention…
The first is that, when I left for the Race in January, my clothes took up the entire middle section of my backpack (about from my shoulders to my lower back). Now, they may be the same size as the length of my shoulder blades. I guess I didn't need as much as I thought I would?
Next, things last a lot longer than I thought they did; for example, I've had the same two chapsticks since December and they're still going strong! A shampoo I brought from the Seattle hotel lasted me a month, a half-a-jar of peanut butter lasted over two months, and some things in life I thought were 100% absolutely necessary, really aren't (ie, hamburgers). 😉
Finally (and this is the point), life is very simple. I need my Bible, a pen, and paper to start my day. Water, food, exercise, and clothes will keep my body going. A place to stay and call "home" and know that I am loved is necessary, and a bed is an appreciated addition. A camera is nice to have (though not necessary), as well as certain foods, an iPod for sermons and music, and okay, I'll admit that I really like candles and orange juice. But other than that, not much is necessary to live.
I'm not trying to make a sell-all-your-stuff point. I'm not trying to convince you to downsize or give more. I'm merely making an observation, and that is that I am surprised at how little is "required" to live, especially when you consider that half the things I listed are preferences, not necessities. To die really is to gain, and to have little is to have more.
When I say, "I'm into India", I mean it. I love this country, and I love what it has taught me… to live simply, constantly being aware that "the earth mourns and dries up, and the crops waste away and wither. Even the greatest people on earth waste away" (Isaiah 24:4); to love people as much as I love my Savior. India, thank you for reinforcing what I should've already known.
W a s t i n g m y l i f e o n l o v e . . . s o u n d s l i k e a g r e a t i d e a .
