A few days ago @harvardhomestead invited us all to write a post about why keeping things small on a homestead is so beneficial. I jumped on board full force, and have been thinking all weekend about all the things we have downsized. Our belongings (clothes, furniture etc), dishes, cars, acres, living space...there's been a lot, but I couldn't stop at just one. Then there's also the idea that @freedompoint and I are planning our next move to a new homestead, and we're currently wanting a "bigger" house on more acreage. Then I thought just about my husband...and how he is larger than life...and realized this would be a challenge to write.
He and I see the world differently at times, and some of it is based completely on our size differences. He stands a foot taller and one hundred pounds more than I do. Our tiny house, roughly 500 sq. ft, has 8 1/2 foot ceilings. Our vehicle is a Suburban because he broke all of our regular cars' driver's seats by just sitting in them days after day. When I do his laundry, I can only wash one pair of pants at a time, if I hope to fit anything else in the same load, and when he eats salad it is out of our mixing bowls. For one last visual, I'm writing this while sitting on our California King bed, which we bought so he could finally sleep without his feet dangling over the edge.
Now these are just our physical differences. There is also a spiritual difference. This is a little harder to explain, but looks like this. Number one you cannot out give God, and number two you cannot give what you don't sow. So when he works he works hard and big, when he gardens, our garden is huge, when he breeds animals there are many! And when he prays...well...he could be still all day and still feel like he could stay longer.
So besides living in a tiny home...with less dishes...where in our life is #smallisbeautiful. I believe it is in our experiences.
It's in the still of a quiet homestead morning, when I step out and hear our rooster crow, and the Yeti is making me a cup of coffee. It's in the first seed that sprouts in our garden...watching the little green shoot it's way through the dirt knowing we both had a hand in that miracle. It's in finding our first wild morels and other wild edibles that hide all around us and understanding God provides even when we can't see it. It's the small internal changes that happen each time our seasons change, little bit by little bit. And it's having a huge dream and putting it all together one small piece at a time with the love of my life.
Ultimately, it's understanding that we effect everything with the small things inside the much bigger ones...and hopefully we can use our small successes to help everyone we meet, even if it's just a little.
Thanks for stopping by and I hope you have the best day!
