I have an idea. I'm super excited by this idea and I'd really like to share it with others. The problem is, I'm not sure that anyone else will necessarily be excited, more importantly, motivated by this idea like I am. After a bit of soul searching and prayer, I have decided that the only thing at risk by sharing this is my pride. If I share this idea, no one cares, and everyone ignores me, then I will probably feel embarrassed. My feelings might be a bit hurt. But really, that is the only risk. Since I'm a bit of a people pleaser at heart, this makes it a bigger risk for me, but my head knows that I will eventually get past my uncomfortable embarrassed feelings and move on. So here goes.
How many of you are planning to buy some cute, adorable NEW outfits for your kids to wear on Easter Sunday? How many of you are planning to shop for a fashionable, NEW outfit or accessory for yourself to wear on Easter Sunday? How much money do you think you will spend on these outfits? What if we CHOSE instead to shop in our own closets, wear something we already own, and instead use the money we would have spent on ourselves on our quest to look cute, fashionable, and spring-like, to help someone else SURVIVE in this world? And I am not being dramatic when I use the word survive.
I will only hop on my soapbox for a moment here, primarily because I'd like to keep this somewhat short, secondarily because its only been my soapbox for about two days, so how much could I really have to say (do not answer that). I know you all already know this, but all over our world, there are people struggling to SURVIVE. And by survive, I mean, they don't have food. They don't have water. They don't have basic medicines to help them get well when they're sick. They don't have a roof over their head or shoes on their feet. There are sweet little children who have no PARENTS, in addition to having none of the other things mentioned above. As I consider this, I realize that the stores I typically traipse in and out of in an effort to find something cute and fashionable for my children to wear on Easter Sunday, are so far from Christ on the cross that I feel physically ill thinking about it. Not to mention that my children already have not only food, water, medicine, a climate controlled home, and two loving parents, but also plenty of appropriate (even cute) clothes to wear on one Sunday morning in April.
Even though I could go on and on, I will step off the soapbox now, because my intent is not to shame you (even though I myself feel extremely ashamed). My intent is to actually challenge you to something better this Easter. Please focus on the word BETTER. I don't think new clothes are a BAD Easter choice, but I do fervently believe that my challenge is a BETTER choice. And its so simple. I present a challenge that doesn't even require you to spend ANY time or ANY money. Are you intrigued? Many of you have probably already guessed, considering it is the title of this post. It is a simple 4-step process:
Step 1: Go to your closet.
Step 2: Pick out an outfit you would normally wear to church.
Step 3: Wear it on Easter Sunday.
Step 4: Take the money you would have spent and bless someone who is struggling to survive in this world. (okay this takes a tiny bit of time, but if you keep reading you will see that I have made giving to a worthy cause as simple as a few keystrokes, and no, it does not cost any money because you were already planning to spend that money on Easter clothes, so you are not actually spending, you are reallocating).
Are you freaking out just a little bit thinking about wearing "old" clothes to church on Easter? Are you coming up with a bunch of excuses as to why a new dress for Easter is not extravagant? Here's mine---
"Well, we aren't JUST going to wear these dresses on Easter Sunday. We'll wear them all spring, and most of the summer too, so they will get lots of good use. I'm really killing two birds with one stone!"
The problem is, we already have dresses in our closets, plus two of the three girls have more than enough dresses in the "hand-me-down" tubs in the basement to be properly clothed throughout the spring and summer. These outfits are certainly not necessary for our basic needs for survival.
Now that you've set aside your excuses, are you still feeling anxious? Then please hear me. I promise you can do it. I promise the reward will far exceed the social anxiety this may cause you. I promise you do not NEED a new outfit for Easter. If you are celebrating Easter, I assume you consider yourself a Christian, in which case I will assume that you already know why we celebrate Easter (despite its pagan name). Unfortunately, I'm afraid that many of you, like me up until two days ago, somehow, some way, began to associate this highest, Holy day of Christianity, marking Christ's ultimate, agonizing sacrifice, with brand, new clothes.
For me personally, this is so sad it makes me want to cry. But instead of wallowing around feeling horrified and weepy, I am going to do something positive. I am going to do something that I think would make my Jesus smile. I am going to feed his sheep. For me, this means feeding some of his orphaned children in Guatemala. I am blessed to know personally some amazing people who are missionaries in Guatemala. They are there doing the actual hard work with their own hands day after day. They are feeding children and families who don't have the money to buy what they need. They are building houses and chicken coops and stoves. They are praying and teaching and living among the poorest of the poor. I cannot do that. But I can send them a few dollars whenever I can and remind myself that my few dollars matter, even when I feel like they don't.
This is also the beauty of my challenge--many people contributing small amounts can change many small amounts into one large amount! I would have easily spent $100 on new Easter clothes for my family of six, and that's if my husband doesn't get anything new and I settle for a scarf or something. So I'll be honest and admit that it would probably be closer to $150---IF I stuck to Target and got lucky with a sale (and my husband still didn't get anything). If 20 other families would do the same, we could send $3000 to Guatemala. If 40 families participated, we would have $6000!!! Maybe you would not spend $150 on Easter clothes. Would you spend $35? If 60 people contributed $35, that would be over $2000. And that's enough money to make some serious impact!
Since I would LOVE for everyone who wants to accept this challenge to feel passionate for my friends' work in Guatemala, I am including a link to their donation site. This is because I also think it would be amazingly cool to see how much money could actually be raised for them in the 3 weeks leading up to Easter if every challenge participant gave to the same cause. But truthfully, I want you to give your money wherever you feel led, not necessarily where I feel led.
I REALLY want to hear from those of you who decide to participate. As my primary sharing tool will be Facebook, please use the hashtag "eastershoppinginmycloset" when you write or share via Facebook. If you aren't my Facebook friend or you just want to be able to follow the posts more easily, simply enter #eastershoppinginmycloset in the "search" bar at the top of your Facebook page and you will be able to see everything posted (I think--I'm not known for my technological skills).
Here is the link to the donation website for "Gifts of Hope" which is operated by my friends in Guatemala. You can read about their story on the page and then click on "donate to this project" to make a direct, tax deductible donation (with receipt) right there! There is also a place to enter comments on the donation page, so please indicate that your donation was motivated by "CHALLENGE: Easter Shopping In My Closet", if you would.
https://joytotheworldfoundation.org/index.php?option=com_crowdfunding&view=details&id=87&Itemid=105
If your immediate thoughts about this challenge are not warm and fuzzy, that's okay! I would encourage you to take a few days to pray about it and see if that changes. Keep in mind, you may never "feel" good about giving up something you really want. But obedience usually involves sacrifice. And as Easter approaches, and we contemplate the sacrifice Christ made on the cross for us, maybe we could find it within our hearts to obey and make one small sacrifice ourselves.
In closing, I want to share two verses that have come to mind more than once over the past couple of days as I have contemplated if I should share this little idea. Please read these yourself for the actual words of Jesus, as I have some taken some liberties below. In my mind, I read them something like this:
Matthew 6:19-21
"Jennifer, do not store up for yourself treasures on earth (lots of clothes in your closet to try to impress others or to fit in), where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal (where they will be out of style next year anyway and will take up space you don't really have). But store up for yourself treasures in heaven (help buy some clothes for some wonderful people in Guatemala, or better yet, some food), where moth and rust do not destroy and thieves do not break in and steal. Jennifer, where your treasure is, there your heart will be also (ouch--I don't want my heart to be in my closet, as our small house has very small closets and it's really dark in there because the light doesn't work, which seems like a scarily appropriate analogy)".
John 21:15-17
Jesus: Jennifer, do you truly love me more than these?
Jennifer: Yes, Lord, you know that I love you!
Jesus: Then feed my lambs (orphans). Jennifer, do you TRULY love me?
Jennifer: Yes, Lord you KNOW that I love you.
Jesus: Take care of my sheep (you know, those precious orphans in Guatemala). Jennifer, do you love me?
Jennifer: Lord, you know all things! You KNOW that I love you!
Jesus: FEED MY SHEEP (PLEASE, do something besides buy yourself a new dress for Easter)!!!
