Day 67 - #81

"Let there be small countries with few people.
Let the people have no use for complicated
machinery.
Let them be mindful of death so that they
don't move too far from their birthplaces.
If there are boats and carriages,
let there be nowhere to take them to.
If there are weapons,
let there be no occasion to display them.
Let the people's responsibilities be few
enough that they may remember them
by knotting a string.
Let them enjoy their food,
be content with their clothes,
be satisfied with their homes,
and take pleasure in their customs.
Though the next country may be close enough
to hear the barking of its dogs and the
crowing of its rooster, let the people
grow old and die without feeling compelled
to visit it."

From my travels I have learned that bad things happen in the world not because people ignore what's happening on the other side of it, but because they ignore their neighbors. Try as I might not to ignore mine, I continue to feel ignored. Still, I strive to be content, while recognizing that there is a certain irony in striving for contentment. I do my best to trust God to lead me in a life of contentment. For the time being I'm still learning what I have to be content with.