Search for a Simpler Life

Never before in my life have I yearned more for a simpler life. I've lived the high life of private jet travel, designer clothes, fine wines, fancy cars, and expensive jewelry. It's hard to keep up with all those things in that lifestyle, and I'm tired of trying.

A family needed money to pay rent on their apartment, and was in despair. The son lost his job, and the mom cleaned four houses a week, not enough to support them. I retired many years ago at a young age. The family needed help, but I didn't have enough money to support them. What could I do to help?

A lot of stuff lied around our house that was a result of the high life, more things than I could possibly use in my lifetime. I owned a preponderance of a particular designer, which currently sells at inflated prices on E-Bay, and fetches a fair amount at garage sales. However, we live in a housing complex, which prohibits us from having a garage sale.

My husband and I knew what we had to do. We started in one corner of our home, and worked our way through every inch of space, drawer, and closet. We employed self-discipline through the process. We set aside every single item that we had not used or worn in a year. When we finished the process, the merchandise, including diamonds and high-priced clothing, filled an entire bedroom almost to the ceiling. It was inconceivable to us how many unnecessary things we had accumulated.

Faith and good works are a lot like good nutrition: the result is evident in your appearance just as good works are apparent from your faith. We gave everything to the family who couldn't pay their rent. They sold the designer clothing on E-Bay, and had a huge garage sale. They earned enough money to pay their rent for several months and sustain them until the son could find another job.

Today, for the first time, I sat in church wearing jeans instead of designer clothing. It feels wonderful to have a simpler life. We feel relieved to rid ourselves of the burden of maintaining the high life, and guess what? It feels great to put faith into action.