Simple

Quaker Girl (1915) — Grace Cossington Smith

 SIMPLE GIFTS

'Tis the gift to be simple, 'tis the gift to be free',
Tis the gift to come down where we ought to be,
And when we find ourselves in the place just right,
'Twill be in the valley of love and delight.

When true simplicity is gain'd,
To bow and to bend we shan't be asham'd,
To turn, turn will be our delight,
Till by turning, turning we come 'round right.

~Lyrics by Elder Joseph of Alfred, Maine:

Tune by Joseph Brackett (1797–1882)

This song has been mistakenly identified as a hymn, often without attribution. In fact, it was intended to be a Quaker "Dancing Song" or "Quick Dance," with obvious dance instructions. Yet, the message is clear.

I love singing Simple Gifts and God has made it a theme for me. These last few years have been about paring down, learning to do more with less, and abiding "in the valley of love and delight." I sense that it has a great deal to do with what lies ahead.

Last year's Christmas was a borrowed one. Our own decorations were in storage. Truth be told, it became one of the most relaxed and appreciated celebrations I have experienced in my own home. I had a list of want-to's that I willingly surrendered to basics and a few personal touches.

My concept of "simple" is expressed in this acronym:

                          Scaling

                          Importance:

                          More

                          Peace,

                          Less

                          Encumbrance

A new development will be rewriting this Christmas as well. Again, I choose the simple path.

"A simple life in the Fear-of-God 

is better than a rich life

with a ton of headaches."

~Proverbs 15:16 (MSG)

I am joining Spiritual Sundays!