Less is More.
Less is more, didn’t you know?
Things are different this year, there’s no doubt about it. Maybe it’s our lesson in “long-suffering.”
I know I promised you a story on grace. I’m so sorry, this is not it. I changed it up but I don’t think you will be disappointed! I’ll send that one next week.
The world according to Harper, my 5 year old, is made up of unicorns and rainbows. If you have one too, you probably see the preciousness in their world view. But she said something the other day I must share with you.
Raise your hand if you are FREAKING the %*%#@ out about the school year? There are many of us that just want the kids out of the house for the day and to get on a regular routine again. There are others that are afraid of what the year may hold with this virus floating around.
I keep telling my husband I’m not sending Harper to Kindergarten if she is not allowed to leave her room. Is anyone with me? Ya’ll. The only reason I got through school was for social reasons, you know, cafeteria, recess etc. I realize Kindergarten is different from 7th grade, but it should be magic. Sitting in one room for 8 hours to me is not magical.
Luckily, our school is letting the kids walk about with their masks. They still get to have library, cafeteria, music and PE. Yay. But before I knew this information I was complaining to my husband who hates complaining when Harper walked over to us.
I looked at my toothless girl and laid it out: “Harp, school is going to look different this year. They’re splitting the classes in half and you are going just a few times a week. So, you won’t see as many students in your class as usual.” This is most likely how I said it. I’m not super proud.
Harper looked at me with her big brown eyes and smiled. “Mama. Less is More.”
Mic drop.
Bravo, Harper.
You put yo mama in her place.
I lost sight momentarily of the big picture, something I do all too often. (Anyone else?) The big picture is that this Kindergarten year WILL be magic for Harper because she has already decided it will be so! Now, darn-it, why can’t I do this in real time? I’m working on it, aren’t you?
Well, there’s also the concept of “long suffering.” We have been suffering for months with the effects of the coronavirus on top of our personal, professional, physical and emotional lives. When will this be over? When will it let up? When can we leave our masks at home? Do we still have to wipe off our groceries? (I’m such a rebel, I never did that anyway — and look who got the virus. ha!)
2 Corinthians 1:8–9: “For we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but God, who raises the dead.”
I’m not smart enough or bible savvy enough (yet) to pull scripture into my writing. But, I’m reading a book that does a pretty good job. In “It’s not Supposed to Be This Way” by Lisa Terkeurst she explains long-suffering like this:
“God doesn’t expect us to handle this. He wants us to hand it over to him.”
She goes on to remind us the famous saying “God doesn’t give us more than we can handle” is actually not in the Bible. (Who knew?!) Which made me mad momentarily, because why would He give us MORE?
“Before we can move forward in a healthy way, we must first acknowledge the truth about our insufficiency.” (page 115)
This is where I stopped reading and thought about all the ways I have learned to get my mind off of suffering and on God, the one who’s grace is sufficient for me. (and you!)
Memorize scripture. A good way to do this is inflect a specific word each time you read the scripture.
Move your body. I always feel better after a workout. Turn the music up really loud and tell yourself you CAN. Christian music is the bomb, y’all.
Have you heard of “Neutral Thinking?” Another book I’m reading discusses this theory. You think about your next step. Not the last one and not the 19 afterwards. But your next step. In my example: instead of focusing on what Harper will miss this Magical kindergarten year and instead of focusing on what other schools are doing differently than our school, I’m (now) focusing on what she said: “less is more.” And I’m choosing to believe it along with God has got this whole thing under control, even if it doesn’t feel like it.
Did you catch the GBC Podcast? The Podcast with my Preacher?
If you’re a YouTuber click that link.
Instagrammer click that link.
Although we aren’t specifically discussing “Long Suffering” We do discuss Paul, who did “Long Suffer” and how he kept his mindset on the kingdom over earthly things. Check it out. If you like it, share it.
Air hugs,
Courtney