The Simple Life

We have lived in the Shaw's house for about 2 weeks now. Through living here I have come to realize something... happiness can't be bought. Let me explain how I have come to learn this. About four months ago, we had a plan. It was a great plan... build a brand new house, have Spencer graduate, have money every month to pay off school debt, be self-sufficient, be able to decorate our first "real" house, upgrade some of our "old" stuff, have a backyard that we designed especially for the kids etc...everything we wanted, right? Then our plan started to unravel a thread at a time. Our house was going to be finished three months ahead of schedule. Spencer was going to graduate three months behind schedule. His flights kept getting rescheduled. He quit his job to focus his energies toward graduating, but nothing seemed to work. We knew we would not be prepared in time for the purchase of our home. And yet, we still had to move somewhere. I was in a state of confusion and stress and I could see no solution for our situation. When Spencer approached JulieAnn about moving our family into a room in the basement, she was overjoyed and immediately agreed. Since that moment, I have felt nothing but peace and comfort. I now think I understand why we are here. The Shaw's house is a house of appreciation and love. Appreciation is shown for everything. Nothing is taken for granted or wasted. Love is felt and shown not only throughout their family, but toward our family as well.
I think back on my master plans for our new life to come. I was going to have an amazingly decorated home with things custom to us so that everything would have a place. Of course, there had to be a separate room for each child, and a bathroom that they could share. I was going to get all new plates and bowls because I was bored of the ones I had (and plus they didn't coordinate with my new colors). Also, our washer and dryer were old, so I needed and was planning on getting brand new front loading wonders of humongous capacity. Naturally, when we were picking options, we had to upgrade the flooring, because laminate is unacceptable and boring looking carpet is completely unlivable. The colors all had to go perfectly together with the right contrast. And, (I say with regret) the list went on. These were the things that would make our life awesome... we would be so happy.
Contrast this to our current situation. We live in a room (granted it is pretty large) in the basement. Many of our boxes are stacked on top of one another separating a section of the room for the kids. Both of their toddler beds are on one side of the boxes, and on the other side is our bed. Most of our stuff is still packed. We all share a bathroom with Esther and Nathan downstairs. The house is very comfortable looking without immaculate or trendy decorations. The decorations hung on the walls represent family, country, and church. The kitchen doesn't have a microwave. The washer and dryer are old. The carpet is old, but clean. The dishes in the kitchen are mismatched and they don't coordinate with the room. And all I can say is that it is a beautiful house. I am so very happy here.
So, what are the ingredients for happiness, then? It's obviously not having a bunch of stuff, and living the "dream life" that is pictured all around us. This is what I have re-learned by living here. Happiness is about being in an environment of unconditional love, service, faith, and respect... about appreciating the many blessing I have and being a good steward to the resources I am given... and about sharing and being generous to people always, not just in times of prosperity. So, thank you to all who have helped me understand this, and thank you, Shaw's for showing me the beauty and letting me experience a little slice of the simple life.