Enjoying the Journey

The Quest for Less was a searching, a journey, where the goal was attainable and the destination was a place I could live and thrive. The Quest for Less would deliver me to the Land of Less.

I was heading for a land where my way of living would become life-giving. Where I could dwell, put down roots, and let go of the heaviness I continued to carry everyday (The Land of Less)

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Aren’t we all travellers in this life, searching for things with meaning? Journeying along, trying to make sense of the beauty and the pain that surround us. Looking for ways to ease the sting of the things that don’t make sense. The things we can’t reconcile.

We are spiritual beings living a mortal’s existence. Our humanness has a hard time making sense of this. Our brain attempts to balance and check everything so that we can know we are okay. So we can feel safe. But what I’ve come to believe is that our spiritual self knows different. It has eyes that can see how limited our human mind is. It can rest in knowing its Creator - its source of life - is in charge even when it doesn’t know how to make sense of things. But our mortal voice has a tendency of screaming its fear so loud it drowns out the truth of our spiritual voice. If we can’t get quiet enough to hear the still small voice of the Spirit we can get stuck in the confusion of the not knowing. And when the mortal self assumes it can be all knowing, chaos and pain inevitably follow.

There is so much in this life we can never understand. How God orchestrates our existence and the existence of everything around us. It’s hard to let go and let God if we don’t believe Him when He tells us my ways and my thoughts are higher than yours (Isaiah 55:9 - TPT) or trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding (Proverbs 3:5). If we could fully grasp this truth we could travel our days lighter and freer.

As a young traveller of this life, my searching had a frantic air about it. I was goal oriented. Always in need of everything to be neatly in its place; literally and figuratively. For everything to feel comfortable and look orderly. Being in the midst of figuring out a situation or working through a goal was never a place I enjoyed. I was focused and always slightly annoyed. The ultimate for me was to accomplish what I had set myself to, and be done with it. No matter what it was. When the journey to the goal began to feel long or the hurdles did not have an ease about them I was easily frustrated. Never living in the moment. Rarely enjoying the in between time or the steps it took in the learning.

So much of life was missed in the blur of my rushing. My need to get through the task so I could rest and breathe easy on the other side. I missed so many little nuggets that could have brought a sweetness to my journey. Treasures that I can’t go back and recover now because they could only be gifted in the moment. My hastiness got in my way of the abundance I could have tapped into.

Two decades later, I came to see that the journey was actually the thing I should be embracing. The purpose I found in not rushing the journey had so much richness to it. So much goodness when I remained awake.

I began turning goals into quests. It was no longer a mad dash from point A to point B. I loosened my tightly wound need to create such short timelines. I would allow detours of exploration to enrich my travels. I began to find respite in the midst of the journey. Pit stops to stretch my legs, recharge my body, breathe the air and reminisce on where I had come from to get here. Be grateful for how far I had come. These moments became necessary to regroup. Sacred pockets of time to examine where I was. To let go of the things that might hold me down for the next leg of my journey. Unload the weighty burdens. Toss out what had become dusty and dry. And refuel before continuing on. It brought more life to my everyday to introduce times of rest. It kept me on track as I travelled the quest for less.

Decluttering and minimizing is not just about the material possessions in your life. It encompasses all aspects. Physical, mental and spiritual. That feeling of lightness and relief you feel after a good tidying up is the same feeling you can replicate when you decide to simplify how you conduct your life. What you allow to weigh heavy on you. What thoughts consume you through the day.

During my journey to the Land of Less I found myself drawn to scripture that spoke directly to the heaviness I carried around. Matthew 11:28-30 was often a place I would return to, soaking in the promise of lightness I craved: Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. Doesn’t that sound like a way of living that is life-giving?

That is the essence of the Land of Less. Where the burden is easy and light. Where your soul can rest. Where you are met by a gentle and humble Father who has your best interest at heart. This is not just a lovely idea. Not just a concept for the most righteous of saints to tap into. This, my friend, is something you are invited to enter into. If you just come.

So I invite you! Let’s journey this together. You will be in good company. Come with me as we explore the path to the Land of Less together.