Simple Extravagance

God, thank you for the simple extravagance I see in this place. Life is simple here. You are all and are in all. There are no T.V.’s, no shopping malls, no frantic schedules to distract us from you. And there’s no one to turn to besides you. No counselors, no self-help books, no welfare, no pain killers. In the simplicity, you are here. And you dwell here in breathtaking extravagance. In the rushing Kipkaren River, in the glowing fireflies, in the faith and love of the people, in their worship, and in their overwhelming hospitality.

Thank you for the simple extravagance I see every day: The widow’s egg placed in the offering plate. The accapella worship that fills the mud hut church. A soda in the lantern-lit hut of Peter and Ruth. The hug of a radiant ex-orphan who has received love and can now give it out. The celebration dance of a princess freed from the bonds of prostitution. The shrills and dancing of an abandoned single-mom receiving a Bible for the first time. The three meals you provided for me to eat today. Things that are so simple, and yet so extravagant.

Simplicity and extravagance. This is what Jesus offers us, and this is what He calls us to. It’s simple: He loves me. He loves me more than I will ever be able to comprehend. And He wants me - more than anything, He wants ME. He wants intimacy with me and to live in this intimacy for eternity. And for this love, for this intimacy, for this relationship, He gave His life. That’s the story. It’s not complicated. My God loves me and He gave His life so that our love could be. And yet the simplicity is wrapped up in extravagance. The truth is simple, but it is extravagant. What extravagant love that would go to any depth and any length to pursue me and to capture me. This love, this romance, this God, is more extravagant than I’ll ever fully realize. An extravagant God designs the sunset each evening, extravagant love held Jesus bleeding on the cross, and extravagant romance wakes me each morning as my risen Beloved beckons me to dance with Him.

My response must be equally simple and extravagant. It’s simple. I must give Him ME - all of me. He asks for my life. I’m His now; I belong to Him. Bought with a price, I’m no longer my own. Every right laid down, every dream surrendered, every plan submitted, and every moment given to the King of Kings. It’s not complicated. This God, must be my everything. He is to be my life. No other masters, no other lovers, no other idols, no other gods before Him. The simplicity of it is extravagant. Extravagantly, I am to pour everything I have into this love. I am to pour out my all at the feet of this King, just as he extravagantly poured out His all for me. As Mary broke her alabaster jar at the feet of Jesus, so I too must break my “jar.” Every dollar saved, every ambition, every dream, every talent, every moment is to be extravagantly emptied at the feet of Jesus. It means risk; it means sacrifice; it means suffering; it means laying down my life.

This is the road Jesus walked and this is the road He calls me to. Will I learn to live it? Will I learn to live in the extravagant love of my God? Will I see the extravagant romance surrounding me that should make my heart skip a beat and my countenance glow? Will I rest in the simplicity of God’s love for me, understanding that it’s forever and constant? God IS love. That’s all I need to know. As I rest in this extravagant and simple love, the complications of my life, of this world will fade. And then will I respond in simple extravagance towards Him? Will I give Him my all? Will I lavish my praise, worship, and love on Him with reckless abandon? I pray I will.

As I leave Africa this summer, I want my life to take on a new mark of simple extravagance. I want to learn to live simply. Simple in my abandoned devotion to God. Simple in my love for others. I want my lifestyle to be simple: the amount of clothes I own, the food I buy, the activities I do, the things I spend money on, what I find delight in, what brings a smile to my face, what I expect from others, what brings me contentment. May all of these things be simple. But may extravagance accompany the simplicity. As I simplify my wardrobe, may I extravagantly clothe the naked around the world. As I choose a peanut butter and jelly sandwich over an expensive meal out, may I use the extra money to feed those without food today. May I extravagantly love and give to others out of my commitment to simplicity. May I be extravagant in my hospitality, in my generosity, in my encouragement of others, in my servant hood, in my listening, and in my sacrifice. Above all, may I be extravagant in my love. Continue to lead me my God. Lead me in this dance of simple extravagance!