Lent Day 2: Clothes

I decided clothes needed to be on the early end of our 40 days, as it is a process when it comes to figuring out what fits/doesn't fit, what you wear/don't wear (and when was the last time you wore item X), getting over the guilt of those things that fit but you know you never wear, as well as owning that while you love the memories of item Z, it no longer fits/is fit for public viewing. 

I recently found a useful idea in Real Simple magazine. If you want to figure out what clothes you do and don't wear, turn all your hangers around so they are "backward". Then as you wear things and rehang them, turn the hanger so it faces the proper way. Then, after a period of time (of your own designation), you'll know what you wear and don't wear.

But once you've done that, there is still the question of enoughness. Even if you do wear it, do you need it? What is enough? Be it jeans, slacks, skirts, shirts, t-shirts, sports coats, or sweaters.

Perhaps you heard the story of the Australian morning show host who quietly wore the same blue surge suit every day for a year to see if viewers noticed, given how viewers frequently commented on his female co-host’s clothing. It was his act of protest against disproportional value put on what his co-host looked like instead of her skills. There’s a montage here, showing his outfit in its limited variations for 2014.

Now I’m not suggesting that you should have only one suit/dress. However I do think it is helpful to a) step back and ask "Is the extent of my modern wardrobe driven by the expectations of others or what I think are the expectations of others?" and b) consider going your own way and decide what enough looks like.

And as you proceed with culling your wardrobe, reflect on this text from Luke 3:9-14 and the questions that follow:

“Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.” 

And the crowds asked [John], “What then should we do?” 

In reply he said to them, “Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise.” 

Even tax collectors came to be baptized, and they asked him, “Teacher, what should we do?” He said to them, “Collect no more than the amount prescribed for you.” 

Soldiers also asked him, “And we, what should we do?” 

He said to them, “Do not extort money from anyone by threats or false accusation, and be satisfied with your wages.”

What does enough look like? When do your desires for more negatively impact your neighbor? What is the relationship (or inverse relationship) between bearing good fruit and wanting & taking more than we need (even if we have legal access to that more)?