Simplicity

“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:22-23

I wonder if the complexity of the mind can be captured in something that otherwise appears simple. They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Art can render patrons speechless as it summons emotions from deep within them. Anything that takes time to create has a story behind it, but to all on-lookers that story is different. I doubt there is anything that we can look at or read that doesn’t stir a variety of emotions within us. It may bring up memories, it may touch a broken part of our soul, or we may not be able to identify the feeling but instead only recognize the weight of the impact it has on us. It may leave an overwhelming heaviness in our chest but we find ourselves unable to place emotions to it or reasons for the feeling. Even with a point blank story, we can all walk away with a different interpretation. It isn’t by changing the facts; it’s by how our emotions caused us to perceive it.

No one can ever truly understand someone’s work or their feelings. They may sympathize or empathize but without stepping into their skin we’ll never fully comprehend what was felt. We don’t have their memories. We don’t share their feelings. We don’t know when they were holding their breath, full of fear, as they wrote each word that revealed intricate parts of their souls. We don’t know when they finally let out a sigh of relief as they felt they have given all they possibly could. We don’t know when they were ready to give up, or when a spark of inspiration hit. We don’t know the meaning behind every stroke of the paint brush.

I always say that my words don’t do justice for what I feel. I often wish the emotions: the joy, frustration, pain, or burdens could be felt directly through my words. I know that it isn’t a case that there aren’t enough words to describe what I’m feeling; it comes down to the fact that I can’t place my heart next to yours. I can hand it to you and let you examine it, but you can only see what’s directly in front of you, not feel the pain that’s inside. We use music, art, and words to paint a picture of what would otherwise be left unspoken. I am always looking for a creative outlet to express what I'm going through; I don’t like to be silenced. I hate the idea of being oppressed and unable to express my opinions or thoughts. Yet, I realized that I am the one who oppresses myself the most. I won’t open up or let others in, I give pieces of information, I let words that need to be said left behind, I carry memories and fears, and I have a heart that is ready to burst with thoughts and pain but is kept on a tight leash. It isn’t free to let others get close.

I’m the type of person to find beauty in things that otherwise would go unnoticed. The soft tickle of your hair against your cheek when a cool breeze comes blowing on an autumn day, the feeling of cold asphalt beneath your bare feet after a long hot summer, the smell of a bonfire remaining in your hair as you try to fall asleep after a party with friends, the gentle tapping of raindrops on your window that tenderly rock you to sleep, or the crackling of the fireplace while you are curled up with a book during a snowstorm. These moments of simplicity should be treasured. So often they go overlooked and unrecognized. Instead, stress gets our attention, but peace goes ignored. Life often gets in the way and clouds our vision. Our mind is focused on tasks, to-do-lists, and our struggles. We forget to rejoice and appreciate each of the “tiny” gifts God has given us as constant reminders of the beauty of His creations and of His plan.

That sunset isn’t there simply to say the day‘s end is near. It isn’t there simply because of science. It is there as a daily reminder to thank God for another day and bask in His power and ability to transform. It is a constant reminder to look up and keep your eyes on Him. What if we began everyday with the sunrise reminding us of how the Son rose from the dead? What if we ended each day with the sun setting as a reminder of Christ dying for our sins? We are renewed each morning. If we looked at each day that way we’d constantly be reminded of our salvation and what it took for us to be forgiven. We would live a life of humility as we are constantly faced with our sin and God’s saving grace. “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

Everything we see is fleeting. Everything we feel and experience is temporary. There is no single way to capture the depths of each of our individual journeys. There isn’t a way to bundle up each person’s life experiences and put one photograph, sentence, or song to their struggle. I think the best way to capture the depths of humanity is to say we are new every morning. That is the simplest way to word it, yet it bears no simplicity at all. Those words are weighty and thought provoking. To me, they remind me that each day is an opportunity for change and that each day we will face something different. We go to bed with joy or sorrow on our hearts, and when we awake we are made new. God allows us to be transformed each day. There is nothing simple about that.

The beauty of searching for simplicity is instead finding complexity everywhere you turn. That’s when you can get a glimpse of how powerful our God is. Everything He has made is intricate, has a process, and has weight behind it. We will never understand everything, we’ll never have the answers, but we must have faith in our all-knowing God. He made everything and understands the complexity and knows our human desire to simplify everything so that we too can have a piece of the knowledge that He possesses. In trying to simplify things, we discover how inferior we are and find comfort in knowing that though we don’t have all the answers, Christ does. This is the greatest news of all for a hungry heart, because His love never fails and His mercies are new every morning.