7 Months...7 Things...7 Opportunities to See More of Him

I like stuff!  Actually, I love my stuff!  If asked, I would say Jesus is first in my life...I would give all this stuff up.  However, at times, I am forced to question my response.  I try to justify my large amounts of stuff by saying "I give to the poor.  I help those in need."  More often than naught, I give out of my abundance.  Honestly, I am not sure I have ever "given until it hurts". 

I get so frustrated with myself because I have seen poverty.  I have seen children sleeping on wooden slats without a single toy.  I have been inside of entire homes that would fit into my family room.  Often, it is in those settings, that I see Jesus...His hope...His love....His grace and mercy....and His hospitality.  Always, I walk away from these experiences saying "I want to be different.  I want to love Him more and my stuff less".  Then, I return to my comfortable life with my overabundance of stuff and the memories of "the least of these" starts to fade.

About two months ago, my friend, Kelly, told me I should read the book 7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess by Jen Hatmaker.  (By the way, don't read this book if you don't want to be confronted with your excess and your love of it)  After some discussion, we decided we were going to follow Jen Hatmaker's model (with a few modifications) and take 7 months to fast from 7 things that get so much of our attention.

September is the month Kelly and I will focus on possessions.  We will give away 7 items each day.  I decided that I will be giving away 7 items each day...210 items total...that are mine.  I decided this because I wanted to make me uncomfortable.  I wanted to not take the easy way out and give away what I wanted from my possessions and then move on to my children's possessions to make up the difference.  (Oh yes, I would totally do this)

 Today, I am three days in and feeling good.  I mean my closets needed some cleaning out. 

 

Take notice of how organized my shirts are...but, seriously who needs this many shirts (and these aren't even my comfy t-shirts)

 

Jewelry drawer...honestly half of this jewelry I haven't even worn in the past 10 years



My winter shoes...I thought about organizing before snapping the picture (how prideful am I) but then figured you have enough from this post to judge me about why not add something else...

 

 

 

As you can see, God has a lot of work to do in me over this next month.  I am excited to see how God is going to use this fast to make people see more of Him and less of me.  I am praying for opportunities to give my stuff to people in need.  I don't want to just load it up and take it down to the local Rescue Mission...I want to be the one to meet a need.  I want to see God use my willingness (alright I want to see God use my twisted arm) to show love to another.  I want to serve God and not my money/possessions.  I want to be filled up with Him not the treasures of this world.