'Tis a gift to be simple, 'Tis a gift to be free. Shaker Hymn
Sunlight on Houses, plein air oil painting by Lee Boynton
Turn and turn, Till we turn 'round right.
From Freedom of Simplicity by Richard J. Foster:
Simplicity is a grace. It is given to us by God. There is no way that we can build up our willpower, put ourselves into this contortion or that, and attain it. It is a gift to be generously received... It slips in unawares. A new sense of wonder, concentration, even profundity steals into our personality. We change our lifestyle.
Simplicity is also a discipline. It is a discipline because we are called to do something. Simplicity involves a consciously chosen course of action involving both group and individual life. What we do does not give us simplicity, but it does put us in the place where we can receive it. It sets our life before God in such a way that He can work into us the grace of simplicity.