More on Living Simply

The past 10 days have been so filled with mishaps that it's almost comical. Our washer and dryer stopped working...on the same day that our dishwasher started leaking. Then we dropped our computer and the screen cracked. We now have a black spiderweb stretching from the top left corner to the bottom right corner. That could have been enough. But then Jon was in a car accident. And then, what came next? Oh yes, we both ended up with fevers and aches and the chills yesterday.

So in the midst of all this, as I have been researching appliances and new cars, I have been reflecting on what it means to live simply. And, in the midst of all of this, we have been surprised by goodness and generosity.

I began to shop for appliances online. I pictured a new washer and dryer with all the latest features, perhaps even in a fun color. They would be expensive, but wouldn't they look good!

And then a coworker of mine, who happened to see my facebook post, offered us a washer and dryer he was getting rid of. For free.

After the car incident, Jon's parents called. We were supposed to drive to the farm for the weekend. They decided they would come to us, instead. Not only would they come to us, but they would bring Jon's mom's car for us to drive while ours is in the shop.

And then, just this morning, Jon's dad called and said he has a dishwasher for us that some friends are getting rid of. For free.

And we've had family offer to help us with buying a new appliance, if we need to.

So do we buy new appliances because they are newer, with more bells and whistles? Or do we accept offers of used appliances that are free? We are opting for free. We think that this is part of what it means for us to live simply--not getting wooed by allure of the new and flashy. We know that these used appliances won't last forever. They might only buy us a few more years before we have to buy new ones. But that's a few more years of being able to save, rather than going into debt.

Our appliances won't be shiny. They won't come in fun colors. I don't even know if the dishwasher will match the rest of our kitchen. They won't make our friends ooh and ahh when we host our fancy dinner parties. But they will get our clothes and our dishes clean.

As I think about the crunched hood of our car, which will likely be enough damage for the insurance company to declare it a write-off, I can't help but think of my friend Sarah. Sarah is a nurse, working in Haiti. And I wonder, would it matter to her and her friends if the car they were driving was ugly? If its hood was dented and smashed, but it still ran well? Do we buy a new car or make due with what we've got? If we buy a new car, do we buy the one we've been dreaming of or do we buy something smaller, something still reliable, but less expensive?

We are part of a generation of entitlement. We believe that we can have, even more, that we deserve, the newest and the best. But what if this generation of entitlement has it wrong? What if it's not about having the best? What if it's not about having at all?