At a wedding last weekend, I made an unlikely friend. Edith sat next to me at the reception, dressed in a calico dress and a bonnet. She was well over 60, and the wrinkles on her face told the stories of all the hard work that she did on her farm.

We started talking about the Lord. We talked about our mutual friend and her new husband’s faith. Then she told me that she had been married for 47 years.

“I’m getting married soon. Do you have any marriage advice for me?” I asked.

Her response was so simple, but so wise.

“Never stop loving God. Never stop loving your husband. Read the Bible every day.”

Edith went on to talk about her four children and 16 grandchildren. Three of her offspring are ministers. This woman and her husband have left a godly heritage.

To the world, there was nothing beautiful about Edith. Despite the fact that we are 10 years into the new millennium, she looked like she had just homesteaded her little house on the prairie. She had done nothing to prevent signs of aging, and she probably hadn’t even finished high school, let alone pursued a career and independence.

But I saw a beauty that was unique in its simplicity. She loved God. She was faithful. She didn’t try to get any of her identity from the world. Her heart was beautiful.She lives a life that is undistracted by the things that my heart wants: worldly beauty, fame, admiration, and popularity.

I left the wedding thinking about leaving my modern life for a life of simplicity. There is something that is so romantic about living in the middle of nowhere, taking care of a home and farm (and yes, I do understand that simple does not mean easy).

Simplicity sounds so nice. My life seems overfull sometimes and just a little bit complicated. But I know that God wants my undistracted devotion whether I live on a farm, in Des Moines, or in New York City.