a. I've had too much caffeine
b. I took too long of a break from blogging
c. The Holy Spirit is really trying to teach me something
OR
d. all of the above
I'm going with 'd'.
I just returned from a run hoping that I could pound out some thoughts while I pounded the pavement (see what I did there?). Except I didn't. My thoughts are in the same tangle they were when I left. I don't even know where to start.
Maybe I'll start with some photos.
Remember how I'm forcing inviting my family along on this journey of "7: an experimental mutiny against excess"? And how the first month is about food? In my last blog post I told you the 7 foods (milk, cheese, chicken, eggs, broccoli, cauliflower, apples) we are going to buy at the store weekly to supplement what we already have at home. I also told you how we will cheat just about every week. Starting today:
Except it's not really cheating because I didn't buy anything special to make this cake, I had it all in the cupboard. Except it is cheating because I bought chips and soda to have with pizza before we eat this birthday cake.
But I digress. Back to my pantry picture. That is the "Day 1: beginning of the mutiny" photo. I hope the day 30 photo shows everything as empty.
There's more tho. Here are the rest of the Day 1 photos:
We've got a lot of food. I'm wondering if we will even be able to eat it all in a months time.
Which begs the question: Why do I get to have enough food in my pantry, cupboards, fridge, and freezers to feed 6 people for a month (or more) when there are people all over the world who don't even have enough for today?
It makes my heart hurt and my eyes leak.
The "easy" answer is that I am blessed so that I can be a blessing.
We had an amazing church service/sunday school class that completely reiterated what the Holy Spirit has been reveling to me. Ever since Christmas and that horrible commercial (I think for K-mart?): "Get more Christmas" I have become increasingly uncomfortable with the excess that we have.
So, being an all or nothing kind of girl, when I read "7" by Jen Hatmaker my heart screamed "I'm ALL in!". Month one is food, and I've talked enough about that.
Month two is clothes. I've gotta admit, I am already getting hung up on this one and we're only 1.5 days into month one. I did just recently purge my closet (which is what started all this mutiny against excess) but I still have a lot.
More scarves than you can shake a stick at.
Jewelry out the wazoo.
I need more accessories like I need a hole in my head.
In "7", the author picked 7 articles of clothing for the whole month.
What?!
I can't stop thinking about it. Trying to figure out how I can twist it like I did month one. Can I do 7 outfits? Can I include 7 accessories? Can I NOT count my work clothes? Can I NOT count my workout clothes? This is gonna happen in the month of April, for crying out loud!
If that last sentence doesn't make sense to you then you must not live in Lancaster county. In April it could be 80 degrees or it could snow, most likely in the same week. How do I pick 7 articles of clothing to accommodate weather like that? Heaven forbid that I might be too hot or too cold. Heaven forbid that I might be uncomfortable.
Heaven forbid that I might be uncomfortable.
Ouch and double ouch. I never think of myself as a selfish person but that sentence proves it. I don't want to be uncomfortable. I like my middle class comfort zone, thank you very much.
But Jesus challenges that, doesn't he? I say I'm a Jesus follower, but will I follow him somewhere uncomfortable? Jesus says "Take up your cross and follow me."
"Hey, can I do that from the couch while I eat my dark chocolate and wear my comfies and watch TV?"
I'm not exactly sure what Jesus is calling me too. Certainly to a life of less.
Less stuff. Less stress. Less comfort.
But what he offers is so much greater.
Abundant life.
"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." ~ John 10:10
I'm ready to empty out so that I may be full.
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