The world tells us that more is best, right? We need more square footage, more closet space, more clothes to fill a bigger closet. We need to keep up with the Jones’, whoever they are. The whole concept that more equals a better life just leaves me feeling exhausted. I’m tired of running in an endless race of greediness and then jealousy when my neighbor passes me up on the third lap.

Like many others, I’ve struggled with this for years. In year two of our marriage, my husband and I came across this adorable little house in the country that was for sale. The location was perfect. The acreage was good and the price was well below what we had been approved for. The kicker was, it was less than 1,000 square feet. This was before kids so at the time it seemed manageable. We would move in, renovate, live there a couple of years and then find or build our dream house. Well, God has a sense of humor and almost 12 years, 2 kids, and 4 dogs later, we still have the same address.

Some days the tiny house life annoys me to pieces and makes me grumpy, but on cleaning days especially, I’m grateful for our little house. I’m grateful because it forces our family to be close and to share life with each other. It helps us to accumulate less “stuff” and encourages us to create more memories together. I also credit our small house for being a driving force for us to get outside. From late April through most of October you’ll find us out back kicking a soccer ball, working in the garden, taking a bike ride or relaxing under “our tree”. I call it “our tree” because when we first moved in, we planted this little Red Bud in the back yard and it hardly had a shadow in the evening sun. Year after year it has grown and flourished and each year we’ve pruned it to the perfect shelter and shade from the blistering summer sun. For the last several years, strands of twinkling white lights have hung from its canopy and below it sits our glass top table and chairs. We’ve eaten countless family meals under that tree, shared stories, laughed and that’s also the spot where our oldest gave his heart to Christ. So yes, that tiny tree we planted years ago has grown to be a sturdy fixture in our family.

That same spot often acts as my outdoor office where I sip iced coffee and check in on my clients. Under that tree is also the spot where it finally dawned on me that I don’t want to keep up with the Jones’ any longer. What I crave is the simple life. I crave the simplicity of creating a life I love, not a life that the world says I should love. I enjoy the hard work of growing our own food, repurposing old broken items and giving them new life. I enjoy finding the beauty in a sunset, a butterfly that flies by, and in a dandelion bouquet handpicked by my boys. Ultimately what makes my heart the happiest is not when I have a pocket full of money and a brand new pair of shoes, but when I’m spending time with my tribe out in the sunshine and fresh air. What about you? Do you find yourself craving the simple life too?