With the success of blogs and videos on minimalism, it has become clear that it is more than just a trend. In a time of climate change and a pandemic, people are looking for new ways to live more meaningful lives, and minimalism is meeting that need.

Over the last decade, Becca Ehrlich has been through plenty. She lost her infant son in 2014 and shortly after became very ill. It took years of medical testing, surgery and bouncing from doctor to doctor before Becca was able to figure out how to manage her chronic illness.

Due to the loss of her son, her health, and starting a new job after leaving a work situation that was making her unhappy and stressed, Becca and her husband moved multiple times, accumulating plenty of stuff along the way.

In 2017, Becca and her husband moved from a 3,000-square foot home in western New York to a small three-bedroom apartment in Pennsylvania. 

"Most of our stuff ended up in a storage unit outside of town, and we shoved the rest of our stuff in every nook and cranny of the apartment," Ehrlich explains. 

"I felt like we were drowning in stuff. I was also figuring out that stress and emotional upset was a big trigger for my chronic illness, and I was struggling to find the best way to manage the stress in my life of changing jobs, moving, and managing my chronic illness."

 A few months after the move, while looking for something to watch she came across a documentary that focused on minimalism. 

"I knew right away that the Holy Spirit was speaking to me and that minimalism would be beneficial for both myself and my husband," says Ehrlich.

The pair started their journey to minimalism in 2018 and it continues to this day.

Becca, who is also a Reverend Doctor with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, recently released a book titled, Christian Minimalism: Simple Steps for Abundant Living.

She says this book cuts through our culture’s insistence about consumerism and challenges basic assumptions about our lifestyles, inviting us into a life free of physical, spiritual, and emotional clutter.

From prayer to fellowship and stewardship, to self-care and the importance of Sabbath rest, Ehrlich offers personal stories and practical steps for ways we can all live a more abundant life. 

Today on Connections, Becca talks about her journey to minimalism, how it has impacted her faith and how others can start their journey.