Abundant Poverty

"Abundant poverty".  That may seem like a strange phrase, or an oxymoron.  But it is a phrase that we have become quite fond of lately.

Because that is how we are living.

Let me explain what we mean by "Abundant Poverty". 

Poverty

I feel like poverty is a bit of an extreme word for our situation, considering the way that many people live around the world, so in some ways I hesitate to use it.  But we do use it, in order to make a statement.  Canada doesn't have a declared "poverty line" that decides who is living in poverty and who is not, but we are living on significantly less than that would be deemed "necessary" to live the average Canadian life.  Compared to the majority of Canadians, we have very little money to live on. 

To a certain extent, that is our own choice.  That is because we are choosing to live by our priorities. Priorities that believe that it is more important to spend time with family and friends than work multiple jobs and put in lots of overtime.  Priorities that believe that it is better to do work that you are called to do and have a passion for, even if it means earning less money, rather than working just to get a paycheque.  Priorities that believe that it is more important to make a difference in the world than to have comfort and convenience.  It doesn't necessarily follow that we have to be poor; it is possible to follow your passion and calling in a high-paying job.  But for us, it has meant living with less.

But I like to think that we are in good company.  Many people of our faith, both past and present, have found that following God's calling for their life has meant living with less.  Even our Saviour was counted among the poor when he walked this earth.

So we can't afford to buy our own house.  We can't afford the conveniences and "toys" that our culture tries so hard to declare as essential.  We buy things used and make do with what we have.  But our life is not defined by what we can't have, instead it is defined by abundance!

Abundant

We have more than enough!  We may just be renting a small apartment, but it is always full of people.  There is always room around our table for one more.  We have surrounded ourselves with friends and family (and people who are both!), and we are always excited for new people to join our community.  We've even invited random people we don't know at all to join us for a meal.  We love sharing what we have!  And we still haven't run out.  God always provides.

And we are looking for ways to expand even more - finding a larger place to rent, so that even more people can live with us!  So that we can continue following our calling of building community and living ethically.  We continue to dream of the day when we can live on a farm and do even more to care for the earth and live sustainably.

And so we meet each new day with anticipation, looking for what God is going to do.  Watching for his guiding and provision.  Eager to find more people to welcome into our home and our family.  Encouraging others to join us in our life of abundant poverty.