The grass is always greener on the Amish side

A few weeks back, I interviewed Suzanne Woods Fisher, the author of "Amish Values for Your Family". I was fascinated by her simple approach of putting together stories from this often misunderstood people group, to bring wisdom into our tech-savvy, confused lives.

Getting books mailed to me at the rate of 5 per week, I have stacks that I would love to get through--but sadly, time does not allow. This book however, has accompanied me to the doctor's office, school drive-through and the bathtub.

Often feeling overwhelmed with my little life, I enjoy reading the stories of Amish families and their simple approach to, well, everything. From farming to discipline, the Amish are calm, collected and purposeful in all they do. There truly are many lessons that can be learned from them.

I've now begun to ponder the idea of an Amish vacation. I don't know if they would like to have our family in their midst, but I would love a first hand look at the way their world works. I want to cook wholesome food with their women. I want to watch their children do chores without complaining. I want to see the men come together to complete a building project. But most of all, I want to see what contentment looks like, without all the "stuff".

We (as a church group) have often discussed taking a mission trip to Mexico or an impoverished U.S. community, so that we can really see the comparison of our "extravagant" lifestyle, with the desperate condition of the rest of the world. We want to teach our kids sacrifice and service. But I have to admit that I also want my children to see just how much they take for granted.

Lately I've begun to think that a trip to Amish country might accomplish many of these same goals. They would see what it means to work hard. They would learn what it means to be part of a community. They would see faith in action and what mutual respect looks like.

I'm sure Amish life has its pitfalls (aside from the obvious). But, statistically speaking, they are doing something very right. According the Fisher, the Amish have a virtually 0% divorce rate and the retention rate of Amish teens (those that choose the Amish life and church) is between 85 and 90 percent.

So, if you catch wind of an Amish exchange program, please let me know. While I doubt they'd want to visit our house, I sure would like to spend some time in theirs! It might hurt at first to unplug, but I have a feeling that the payoff will be worth the sacrifice.