Going Amish

When we in Fredricksburg we stopped at an Amish Market. Surprisingly (or not) I bought a book- Amish Peace. I have this sort of fascination with the Amish way of life and secretly I wish life could be that simple.

I know Jason wonders about me when I say crazy things like that. He knows I thrive on chaos, have opinions about nearly everything, and like things to sparkle. He knows that brightly painted toenails, sparkly costume jewelry, and jeans make me very happy. I like to listen to music loud, drive fast, and am attached at the hip to my purple Netbook. He has resolved that I will rarely be wearing sensible shoes and don't know a thing about preserving from my any garden. I have never eaten a meal in silence and have a burning need to talk- a lot. I spend as much time as possible in bed and spend a lot of time with my nose in a book. I have a whole world in my head and find it necessary to blog about things most people never even think about- like the inherently evilness of snuggies. Not sure that would fit well with going Amish.

So what do I admire? I admire an entire lifestyle built around a community of faith. I love the idea that children are not something to worked around but to be worked with. I love that everyone knows their role. I love that Sunday is as much about family, friends, and food as it is about worship & teaching. Worship and teaching aren't overshadowed they are just extended by loving neighbors and serving one another.

I love how relationships are priority. There is no such thing as "too busy" to get together. You will never hear an Amish woman say that she can't get together with a friend or neighbor because she has too much laundry to do. They just do the laundry together (and without the benefit of electricity-crazy!)They shop together, cook together, clean together and worship together. There is no pride in the way of sharing work or possessions because they understand that life lived in isolation is worth far less then life shared.

Obviously I am glad that I don't have to make dinner for our whole congregation this Sunday. But I do crave the kind of relationships where we can just abide, just live life alongside. I am tired of catching up via text. I miss the kind of relationships where I can say "I know it's a Tuesday- but come over and let's make dinner together. Then we will sit on my porch and drink iced tea and watch the sun go down." But I don't have a porch, so we would have to sit on the couch in the climate-controlled-bug-free-living-room. 

It is strange because I have this aversion to scheduling in quality time right now and an even stronger one to being scheduled in. And that might seem contradictory. I want quantity. And not because I am not content with a date- that's fun. But I feel like I am missing out on the next level because in an hour together or a night out to dinner I don't get to see experience the kind of mother my friends are or the way they love their husband when it isn't date night. I want to know where everything is in their kitchen and how they fold their towels.

I am not going to convert but I do think there is great advice in this quote:

If you admire our faith, strengthen yours. If you admire our sense of commitment, deepen yours. If you admire our community spirit, build your own. If you admire the simple life, cut back. If you admire deep character and enduring values, live them yourselves.                                                                                         Uncle Amos