sacrifice (By Laura)

There's this movie.  It's kind of famous in my family.  My sisters and I used to watch it every now and then, and often sang the songs from the soundtrack.  It's called "Brother Sun Sister Moon".  It is very, very 70's, my friends.  But it's the story of St Francis of Assisi, and his spiritual journey.  He was a rich merchant's son who went off to war during the Crusades.  He returned sick, and spent some time in a feverish state, and when he woke up, had a spiritual revelation.  He saw for the first time the horrible separation between the rich and poor.  The rich were elegant, extremely haughty, and controlled everything.

The poor were the lowest of the low, and were treated like animals.  St Francis couldn't handle the injustice, and so he chose to follow his God-given conviction: to leave his parents and become a beggar.  He worked for the rest of his life with the poor, serving them and giving them dignity through his love and kindness.

I can't watch this movie without bawling.  And I mean, big, ugly sobs, people.  Numerous times throughout the thing.  Be warned if you ever sit down to watch it with me.

Now if you're thinking, "Oh! I need to see that movie!" just be aware that it's really, really slow.  I mean, when I first sat down and watched it with Ryan, he nearly died.  (He doesn't like slow movies...haha!)  So bearing that in mind, enjoy!

But this post isn't about that movie.  It's really to draw the conclusion that we are not the first to do this simplification thing.  So many have gone before us, centuries ago, and even in this generation!

The other thing that this post is about is explaining a little more deeply our reasons for wanting to downsize.  Because it's not just about size, you know.  And it's not just about money.  Or time.  Or shortening our mortgage.  Or having no yard work.  (YEAH!)

At the centre of all this is a true desire to live our lives the way we feel called to.  The way we think we'll be proud of at the end of life.  Will we look back in old age and say to ourselves, "Aren't we glad we held on to that nice house and two cars in that nice neighbourhood?" Or will we say, "Aren't we glad we made that tough choice to live with less stuff, following our feelings that the distribution of riches in our world just isn't fair, and teaching our girls along the way?"  This is about so much more than making our lives more comfortable.  This is about adding a little justice into the pot.

There is SO much more we could do.  I write these words and I think, "Why aren't we considering moving into a shack?  We could give every penny we have to people who are in need!"  But this is a small step in that direction, I think.  I hope.  To have less not only speaks to our desires to have less to clean up, less to have to upkeep, less to have to pay for, but it also speaks of not being okay that we have big expensive things while others have so little.

Ryan works on the Downtown East Side (DTES), raising money for a mission that serves the poor.  The DTES is known as "the poorest postal code in Canada".  It has a population of roughly 18,000. Thousands here are homeless, and about 5,000 are intravenous drug users.  It is estimated that 40% of the homeless in the DTES are mentally ill.  So, while we live in this city by the sea, a nice hour drive away from the madness of the DTES, we experience it.  Ryan is surrounded by it daily.  It's hard to avert your eyes and live a blissfully rich life when you are faced with poverty of that magnitude.

And so this is our answer, at least at this time.  It seems only right to shed the "extra" we have, pare down a little, pour our resources (both time and money) into more meaningful things.

And if I can speak to the souls who may read this and feel guilty.  Or judged.  Or anything of the sort.  We are NOT doing this with an eye on others' lives.  We are NOT looking around judging people who have money.  We are NOT claiming that we have "found the right way to do life".  We are simply following our hearts, and what we feel is right for our family.  For us.  If we inspire along the way, get conversation started, influence some positive change, all the better.  But when it comes to each person, they have to ask the questions themselves of how they plan to spend their lives.

What acts or choices would make you proud if you were to look back in old age?