De-Connecting

Let me just begin by saying that I am not the exemplar of simplicity. No, I have far too many gadgets, and I have too many cares and concerns (many of which are selfish) to be your example in the ways of simplicity. That being said, I do try. Lauren and I try our best to live fairly simple lives, to be content, and to keep our lives free and clear of excess baggage. This means consistently analyzing our lives, and our belongings, in light of our mild pursuit of simplicity. Lately, I've been doing a lot of analyzing and contemplating what I want my life to look like as we prepare for the birth of our little girl. I've been analyzing the few bills we have (yes, we're contemplating getting rid of cable - I've even contemplated getting rid of our TV's, but I'm just not quite ready for that!) and one of the things I keep going back to is our Wii. The Wii is fun - really fun! My Wii and most of the accessories were gifts given to me over the last few years, and I've loved it! But that being said, I haven't played it in six months (or more). Likewise, though I enjoy it, I don't really want to play it. I'd rather be reading a book, or watching a movie, or doing something with Lauren that will allow us to talk to one another.
So, this week I put my Wii up for sale on eBay. Big news right? Maybe not, but I can honestly tell you that there was quite an internal struggle going on as I held the controller in my hand, debating whether or not to go through with deleting off my information and reformatting the hard drive - the point of no return.
You see, your stuff, or mine at least, calls to you. It begs for your attention, to be a priority. It tells you that you have every right to own it, to enjoy it, and to cling to it. But sometimes, the best thing you can do with your stuff is to give it away, or to sell it, thus de-cluttering and de-connecting from one of your many gadgets.
I have many gadgets, I am fortunate, but I don't need ALL gadgets. A few is enough.
I was reminded of this when I was editing a friend's book on theology and the technology of pop culture a couple weeks ago. Sometimes we need to de-clutter or de-connect. Sometimes we need to ask how much is enough. Sometimes we need to simplify. If I'm going to have this gadget, then perhaps I don't need that gadget, etc..... This might seem simple enough to you, but it is very counter-cultural.
You don't need everything you want, nor would it be good for you if you were to get all that you desire.

One more thought on this note. This week I taught the teens the story of Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1-10). The thing that sticks out to me most about story of the "wee little man" from Jericho, is his giving of half of his possessions to the poor, and his offer to give to those whom he had cheated (the number of people was probably high!) four times what he had swindled them for! Wow! I don't know what Jesus said to him as they walked to his house, but it was obviously powerful.
Don't misunderstand me. I'm not giving the money I make from selling my Wii to the poor. I'll be honest with you. I'm going to use it to help pay for the ridiculously expensive tires I just had to put on my car (why are tires so expensive anyway?). Like I said, I'm not the model in all things simple, nor am I Zacchaeus. I have, however, learned to not let my possessions own me. I could give them up - all of them - in a heartbeat, if I needed to. Yes Lauren, even my iPad! :-)
So the message is simple: take a moment to think about your possessions, your gadgets. Do you need all of them? Do they own you? Should you give them away? Or should you simply consolidate, de-clutter, or de-connect just a bit?
The answer to these questions, is most likely yes - in some form. If you go through with it, you'll be glad you did, I promise.