My Third Anniversary of Tent Living

I moved into my tent in November of 2011, so it's been three years now. And what a year this one has been.

The year 2014 has been one of the most eventful and significant years of my life. It's been full of love and heartache and worry and joy. Divorce and severance and the end of the old, but also reunion and healing of broken relationships that were so important to me. There were nosy neighbors and police, lawyers and judges and courtrooms and threats of lawsuits. Such experiences. Such learning. So many life changes.

And on top of it all, or perhaps, at least in part, because of it, I found God this year, and all the grace and forgiveness that comes with that, as well as all the hard work of repentance. I'm just beginning to understand the relationship between Mother Earth and Father Spirit and this way of life, but it's clear to me that these things are all interwoven, and that my life is now taking me down a wondrous path.

So, with all the change and all the wonder and all the distractions of this past year, what has this third year of tent living meant to me?

My simple home has been the one constant in my life this past year. It's been my safe haven. It's been the one area of my life that was never once threatened by loss or change from all the happenings of this year. A quiet, peaceful place where I could spend time alone, figuring things out. My place of prayer, where I heard most clearly. It's been my sanctuary. My place of retreat when I felt overwhelmed. And even though the thin canvas walls of my home bend easily to Mother Earth's winds, they are completely immune to anything that mankind may try to wield against them. Like an invisible, nearly magical shield, these thin walls protect me from all the threats and disruptions that the outside world of man may bring. Peace. Security. Holiness. What a wonderful home this is.

And so, in keeping with my tradition for this time of year, I ask myself whether I will continue this way of life for yet another year, or whether I am finally finished with tent living. Well this year, when I pondered that choice, I could only smile.

While most people consider tent living to be sort of crazy, I find that the longer I live this way, the more sense it makes. It's fascinating to me that when I now consider the notion of packing up my tent and moving back into a house and living like I used to, every part of my being screams, "No!!! That's crazy!!!"

So another year it is. And if I were a planning man, I'd commit to even more! But one year at a time is already a lot to ask, as this past year has shown, so I'll leave it at that.