But, this experience only furthered some thoughts I began to have about drawing back to the basics.
We are taught in the American Culture to go, go, go. It is hard to slow down — there is much weight on our shoulders as responsibility after responsibility is given.
We are consumed with media. And internet takes over our lives. Whether we want to admit it or not, our appearance is very important to us. What we wear and how we look consumes our thoughts. Most of us have roofs over our heads, and often we want something bigger and better. Nearly everyone has their own car. We are distracted.
God has erased the distractions of my life by taking me on this journey. Everything I have for the next year, I have to be able to carry on my back. My bedroom is now a 3.5' X 6.5' (roughly) tent. There is no bed, only a small sleeping pad. And my pillow, well, let's just say it deflates a few hours into my night of rest. I no longer have access to internet any time I want it. And I cannot call my best friend to hang out after a rough day.
Life isn't really comfortable anymore. But it is in its' simplicity and discomfort that I have drawn near again to the beauty and meaning of a life walked on this earth. It is when the noise of life diminishes that I can hear the voice of the Lord once again. Intimacy with Jesus has become a reality once again.
Just a few weeks ago, I was turning to the distractions of life for [partial] fulfillment. And, now I do not have a choice to turn to those things. It is when the noise of life is diminished that I realize God's voice is once again audible. I'm reminded that my relationship with Him can be intimate.
Life is simply, really. It's really about God and how much He loves us. Then, it's about extending that love to others.
I'm so thankful He has brought me back to Himself through a journey of abandonment [even if it means waking up to a tent infested with fire ants].
Alejandra. Patzibal, Guatemala
