Simplicity: Francis of Assisi: Lady Poverty

Francis of Assisi (d. 1226) called voluntary poverty "Lady Poverty" and pursued her as a knight pursues a beloved. He wrote in his Testament: "When I was in sin, it seemed too bitter for me to see lepers. And the Lord himself led me among them and I showed mercy to them. And when I left them, what had seemed bitter to me was turned into sweetness of soul and body." Francis discovered that letting go of comfort and possessions opened the door to a joy that wealth could never provide.

Francis instructed his brothers: "Let them not make anything their own, neither house, nor place, nor anything at all. As pilgrims and strangers in this world, serving the Lord in poverty and humility, let them go seeking alms with confidence." This was not self-punishment but radical trust -- if God feeds the birds of the air, will He not also provide for His children?

Practical application: Go through one room of your home and identify items you have not used in a year. Give them away. Then spend a week tracking your spending and asking of each purchase: "Do I need this, or do I want it?" Francis does not demand poverty of everyone, but he teaches that voluntary simplification brings freedom and clarity that accumulation never can.