“Saw that your house is for sale…where you guys headed?”
Loaded question.
The hotty-hubby and I exchange glances and both try and feel out if it’s worth opening the can or not.
Because, friends, sharing that you’re downsizing is A CAN OF MESS to open up on innocent bystanders who just wanted to hear a quick soundbite and move on with their day.
We have found ourselves at an interesting crossroad when it comes to the journey we are on and how it is affecting others.
On one hand we want to be sensitive in sharing because we by no means feel that every person has to be doing what we’re doing and if they’re not…shame on them.
But on the other hand, there are things that we have learned by doing this that we do feel are important for anyone who bears the name of Jesus.
So the rub is that we don’t want people to feel judged by our process but we do want people to be challenged by it.
We want to pave a road for others to follow in, in big and small ways and we actually do want people to feel the uncomfortable tension of living in excess…because we feel it too. That tension has been a gift, becoming the catalyst for the overhaul of our way of life.
We want our discomfort in this process to cause discomfort enough in others that it becomes a catalyst for their change.
There’s no way around the friction that this convo creates.
Here are the top 10 funniest things people have said in response to OPENING THE CAN of tiny living:
- Oh wow…. You’re doing that on purpose? (ha ha got me…as if it could be an “Oops, how’d that happen” kind of situation?)
- Wincing. No words just a wince…as if what they’ve heard has caused physical pain.
- But what about the kids?
- You’re doing that with your kids? (Nope, just Brent and I, the girls will be remaining in all the square footage they could want)
- You’re doing that TO your kids? (Y’all… not kidding, I was asked this.)
- I mean… I guess I could do it if I was going bankrupt. (In other words…if a proverbial gun was held to my head)
- Well that seems “on brand” for you. (this one made me proud)
- Good for you. (Glad it’s not me)
- How fast are you going to build a bigger house? (We ain’t even in the smaller one yet and people wanna plan out the bigger one)
- Can’t wait to see how long that lasts. (least favorite comment and for my personality it feels like a challenge)
“Another day, a man stopped Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?”
Jesus said, “Why do you question me about what’s good?
God is the One who is good. If you want to enter the life of God, just do what he tells you.”
The man asked, “What in particular?”
Jesus said, “Don’t murder, don’t commit adultery, don’t steal,
don’t lie, honor your father and mother, and love your neighbor as you do yourself.”
The young man said, “I’ve done all that. What’s left?”
“If you want to give it all you’ve got,” Jesus replied, “go sell your possessions;
give everything to the poor. All your wealth will then be in heaven. Then come follow me.”
That was the last thing the young man expected to hear. And so, crestfallen, he walked away. He was holding on tight to a lot of things, and he couldn’t bear to let go.”
Matthew 19:16-22 MSG
This story is A CAN that Jesus opens straight up in, not only the rich dude’s face, but ours.
I have found myself over the years of my walk with Jesus finding every which way around this story. Finding ways for this story to mean something that I can keep at arms distance.
But Jesus doesn’t say anything that when truly received stays at arms distance from us.
This story, boiled all the way down, is about OBEDIENCE.
Jesus knew the man who approached Him. Knew Him inside and out with the knowledge that only a Father can have.
Jesus knew what was hindering him. Knew what was choking out freedom for him.
So when Jesus lays out the terms of following Him, it wasn’t a blanket statement to everyone in ear shot.
It was a piercingly personal call for this precious man who was just looking for a quick sound bite and ready to move on through the rest of his day.
Was it extreme? A big ask? Not what the poor boy expected?
Yes.
But it was the most loving thing Jesus could have done for Him.
Not only offer Him a completely freed up life and give him the equation it would take to get there…but bigger than that, He gave the man the choice.
The choice to follow Him. The choice to sever ties with his stuff. The choice to allow his excess to bless the poor.
It wasn’t mandated. It was an offer.
Free to choose.
Free to choose freedom but also free to choose a tethered life.
And that’s where we usually choose to stop with this story.
“Ohhhh… ok good…so that’s not for everybody that’s just for him because he was obviously owned by his stuff…and me…well I’m not so that’s not what Jesus is asking me for.”
Don’t feel judged dear one. That’s a direct quote from yours truly.
But Jesus didn’t stop there.
After the bound-up man walked away sad…Jesus pressed in a tad bit more with his bros.
“As he watched him go, Jesus told his disciples, “Do you have any idea how difficult it is for the rich to enter God’s kingdom? Let me tell you, it’s easier to gallop a camel through a needle’s eye than for the rich to enter God’s kingdom.”
The disciples were staggered. “Then who has any chance at all?”
Jesus looked hard at them and said,
“No chance at all if you think you can pull it off yourself.
Every chance in the world if you trust God to do it.”
Matthew 19: 23-26 MSG
I love the drama of Jesus’s example here. I am so here for over exaggerated points.
Do you wanna know how hard it is for a rich person to enter the kingdom? Imagine shoving a camel through the eye of a needle. That’s how hard. ha ha I love it.
And here’s where things get a biiiiitttt more uncomfortable.
Although Jesus was obviously looking for OBEDIENCE-WITH-ABANDON out of the rich young ruler- that was the BIG PICTURE of what we can see He is calling forth, we also see that to Jesus, possessions can be the things that get in the way for all of us.
So yes, it is a call to obedience, but it’s also a call to look at our posessions and realize that all that stuff can be a ceiling that’s placed on the possibilities of what God has for us if we were truly freed. Our junk can actually keep us from all-the- way following Jesus. I know…it stings a little, or a lot.
The freedom to follow Jesus fully must be freed up in our lives. We must clear the path in order to experience all that Jesus has for us.
Jesus cares far less about our possessions and more about a life that’s cleared out; margin made, slate cleared, ceiling removed, cords cut from all the stuff that is choking out complete abandon.
Freed up from our stuff IN ORDER to be free to choose Him TOTALLY.
It’s about obedience BUT it’s also about our excess. Jesus loves us too much to let us sit comfortably with what we decide this story is about…the arms distance view of it.
It’s about an obedience that in turn blesses the world. Sell your possessions and give them to the poor. Jesus is always remembering the poor, and calling us to see that a life lived fully free in following will ALWAYS pour out onto the lives of the poor.
It is the design of our Father. A direct reflection of His in-love-with-the-broken heart.
Our less will allow others to have more.
It’s a tough pill to swallow. Trust me friends, we feel like we’re currently gagging it down ourselves.
