Leaving Home
Simplify, Simplify, Simplify. Become a minimalist. This is a message we hear all the time, especially from The Minimalists. I love these guys and their straightforward take on simplifying for the right reasons.
My parents, however, have never heard their message, seen their blog, or listened to their podcast. But after months of wrestling about how to grow old together with the least amount of impact to our family, they decided to leave their home of 46 years and simplify. The same home where they have been since I was 10 months old.
It was a decision that took two years of discussion, reviewing finances, visiting retirement communities, and lots of prayer. Out of necessity, they became minimalists.
My parents sorted through every room in their house, garage, and shed. We spent days in each room making decisions about stuff. What should they take? What should they sell? What should they give away? My dad had a harder time letting go than my mom and he is the first to admit it. Forty-six years of memories were tied to that place and the emotional connection to the belongings there were very real.
My parents’ decision was the right one for them and their new community is so welcoming, but they had to trust God to carry them through the transition. They had to move from a home they loved, through a time of mixed emotion filled with joy, sorrow, hope and fear. They were letting go and entering the unknown.
The God of the Old Testament is still the same God who is active today. Under many circumstances, God moved the Israelites from place to place. Whether they knew it or not, he gave them exactly what they needed to make it through.
“Because of your great compassion you did not abandon them in the wilderness. By day the pillar of cloud did not fail to guide them on their path, nor the pillar of fire by night to shine on the way they were to take. You gave your good Spirit to instruct them. You did not withhold your manna from their mouths, and you gave them water for their thirst. For forty years you sustained them in the wilderness; they lacked nothing, their clothes did not wear out nor did their feet become swollen.” - Nehemiah 9:19-21
Just like the Israelites, God gives my parents exactly what they need to make it through. And He does the same thing for all of us.
The photo is of my parents and my childhood home. As they let that house go, it was hard for all of us. That laughter you see between them is now longer, louder, and more often because they chose to let it all go. Everyday isn’t perfect, but now, everyday their time is spent focused on each other, rather than managing stuff, and enjoying each moment together.
Whatever you are facing, you can make it through. Live with purpose. Enjoy your moments.
Searching for wisdom and asking for grace,
Jody Flurie
Jody Flurie is the Founder and Owner of Red Dirt Legacy Co. where family legacy stories are celebrated through each Little Legacy Film Series - a series of short videos that can be easily shared to keep children and grandparents connected by what matters most for each family.
Jody believes all kids, young and old, need to understand where they came from and why it matters. Everyday, she works hard to instill this in her family because it’s only through understanding who we are that we can be fully ourselves and make a true indelible mark on the world.
If you want the same thing that Jody wants for her family, visit reddirtlegacyco.com to find out how your family can celebrate the wisdom, love, and legacy of an earlier generation. If we don’t step up to bring hope to our families, who will?