Sacrifices

I’ve sacrificed many of life’s pleasures for the lifestyle that we are living. 

In the few months prior to our departure, I made slight changes in the way I was living in preparation for my current lifestyle. 

I’ve given up the American Dream.  I no longer desire to make it on my own.  I know I can’t.  I need God’s help, Brad’s help, the help of a community.  Things work better when people work together.

I am trying to care less about my appearance.  I’ve worn makeup since I was thirteen and made sure my hair looked nice every morning.  Now I don’t have the luxury to spend money on makeup.  It tough to step out into the world with a bare face after hiding behind Cover Girl for years.

I no longer have access to a daily shower.  This is surprisingly not as bad as I thought it would be.  Bandannas and braids do wonders for dirty hair. 

I do not have a TV.  Farewell Amazing Race and Boston Legal.

I use the bathroom of whatever Walmart we happen to be parked at for the night.  Goodbye privacy.

I am trying to rely less on man-made products and more on what God has given us through the goodness of this Earth.  If I can learn to make it myself, why pay someone else to do it for me?  I have taken up knitting in hopes of someday being able to produce more than a scarf.  We also try to make most of our food from scratch.  If they sell it pre-packaged in Walmart, I can probably make it for half the price with none of the artificial ingredients. 

My bed is now a 4 inch mattress topper situated above the driver’s seat of the van.  It’s actually pretty comfy.  A queen sized bed ain’t bad for fitting in a van. 

I have no control over the temperature in which I live.  If it is cold outside, it is cold in the van.  That means putting on several layers of clothing to go to bed and figuring out how to situate the blankets to get the most surface coverage without suffocation.  I fear what the van will be like once the summer months are upon us. 

I wear the same jeans for several days in a row, something I would never have considered when we had a washer and dryer downstairs.  Now it seems wasteful to put pants in the laundry bag after only one day of wear.

I don’t have a working refrigerator.  Buying meat is a luxury.  Food consists of a lot of rice, dried beans, and canned foods.  I am hoping that soon we will be able to support local farmers and buy fruit and vegetables directly from the source. 

I no longer have a weekly salary to rely on.  This calls for creativity.  This website is an outlet for photography, which I believe is a talent God has equipped me with.  I hope to eventually be able to sell my photos to support ourselves. 

I only own three pairs of shoes.  Sneakers, sandals, and boots.  Makes it easy to decide which ones to put on in the morning.  Going to the beach?  Put on the sandals.  Hiking?  Ahh, the boots of course.  Anything else?  Those sneakers are multi-taskers.

Sacrifices are hard, but in the end, I don’t miss anything that I’ve given up.  Humans are extremely adaptable.  Many people live on way less than I do. 

“Therefore I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God --- this is your spiritual act of worship.  Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Then you will be able to rest and approve what God’s will is --- his good, pleasing and perfect will.” (Romans 12:1-2)

Comments

Hearing about your sacrifices makes me wonder if I have the strength, the faith...the trust in God that you two possess.

I still haven’t made up my mind if I think you are crazy or incredible; but I’m definitely leaning towards incredible.

don’t get scurvy

Thank God I can laugh from your comment Mouse.  Well, I admit I am somewhat spoiled.  I like my private bathroom, shower, appliances and heat.  I went 26 years without cable and 52 years without a dishwasher and A/C.  Hope that means I’ve made a few sacrifices too.

I often wonder the same thing Jeff and I tend to lean towards crazy.

Don’t worry Rachel, I’ve been eating plenty of oranges.

Teddy, I always remember your house being really hot in the summer.  It’s definitely a sacrifice.

Make sure you eat FDA approved bread too.  They supplement it with Niacin so you don’t get the Pellagra.