The Mutiny against excess has continued! Although because I was puking on the couch for 5 months I was not able to fully participate as I had hoped (although I said for food month I gave up eating everything and for clothing month I wore PJ’s and a hospital gown so I did reduce excess, right?) This group of women has encouraged and inspired me to seek more Jesus, less stuff and as we have journeyed together I so appreciate the community God has blessed us to have.
It can be overwhelming downsizing everything but the huge take away God impressed on me during this month was that it is about incremental change. That every time we say “I don’t need that” or “how can I bless someone else instead of gather more for myself” it counts.
It can be overwhelming downsizing everything but the huge take away God impressed on me during this month was that it is about incremental change. That every time we say “I don’t need that” or “how can I bless someone else instead of gather more for myself” it counts.
Jen Hatmaker writes, “We will never find ourselves on the right side of the kingdom all the time in relation to our stuff. But everyday we have incremental chances to store up heavenly treasures, to foster good eyes (Matt 6:22-23); to be filled with light, to serve and love our God and His people. Together, the dots start connecting in a certain direction. Each small decision connects to the next and slowly forms a new pathway. They begin revealing a heart that loves people more than possessions, justice more than a huge savings account. The clues show us things we despise, and lo and behold, they are the same things God despises this time. Something is happening. It started with habits and ended with our hearts; God did that somehow. I guess Jesus was right: “Where you treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matt 6:21″
I am asking for more moments that count, more chances to give, love, serve, and lay down my life. I want my treasure to never be stored on earth.
We just concluded the chapter on Possessions and a few of the suggestions in the study guide are:
* pool your purges items and throw a massive garage sale and do something extraordinary with the profits (Jen Hatmaker’s readers are building a 5th safe house in Haiti and you can too. www.garagesale4orphans.org)
* Commit to purchasing NO MORE ________________ (fill in the blank with your vice) for the summer, or for the year.
* instead of just getting rid of things you don’t need, try asking an org (or even the Community Care Clinic at First Free) what THEY NEED and asking God to allow you to give not just out of excess but to meet needs.
* Organize a hand-me-down group for kids or yourself with friends. Pass on clothes for next season instead of buying new.
* have an extra car? Could someone use it more than you? Could you change someone’s life with it?
* Consider purging or even downsizing car/house/etc.
* furnish an apartment for a refugee family or transitioning family.
*Our homes are HUGE assets. Want to use it for more Kingdom purposes? Consider adopting or fostering, taking in a family or person in a tough spot (if anyone wants more info on Safe Families I would love to chat 🙂 or start a Book Club, Supper Club, Game Night with neighbors or people you want to show God’s love to!
I have been thinking and praying about these and I would LOVE to partner with the Mutiny Sistas AND you all to furnish a refugee family’s apartment with World Relief Chicago. Pray about it and let me know if you are down! I know it may stretch us but I know He can provide what we need to bless a family! There are new families arriving every week and this is such a way to meet a HUGE need! I have the list of needs and can email them to you if you leave a comment or FB or email me.
More general info on it here.
One encouraging recent happening:
We were so encouraged that God is so in this journey! At our last meeting we were talking about what some of us did for the month of possessions and a friend Nicole mentioned she had purged her kitchen even creating some empty cabinets and getting rid of a whole piece of furniture (you go girl!) and she felt the need to get rid of her trash can (and downsize to a smaller one). She mentioned it seemed weird but maybe if she found out that somewhere really needed trash cans she would feel that it was not just a random thing. The next morning I was at a meeting at the World Relief Offices and as they were presenting on the greatest needs they put a slide up and guess what the #2 listed need was?? TRASH CANS!! No seriously! I took a picture and posted it on facebook because it was that CRAY CRAY 🙂 So, all this to say- be encouraged those little moments (like Joy feeling the urge to give her scarf to someone or Nicole feeling the need to give away a trash can can really be from HIM) . God cares about scarves, trash cans and everything in our daily lives. Let’s all ask Him what are the moments today He wants us to be outrageously generous!!
Last weekend one of my dear Mutiny Sistas arranged for some from our group to volunteer at Feed My Starving Children. It was an awesome chance to volunteer and serve in a real way with our kids. Along with many other volunteers we packed food bags that are delivered to many countries in the world to help alleviate starvation. I was really impressed with the organization’s set up and the whole volunteer experience. The kids loved it and felt really great about contributing and we all learned more about hunger world wide and what Jesus is asking us to do.
Annikah adding the soy & rice
laying hands and praying for the shipments before they were sent out.
the finished product: Manna Packs. Our little crew completed 5 boxes ready for shipment!
laying hands and praying for the shipments before they were sent out.
the finished product: Manna Packs. Our little crew completed 5 boxes ready for shipment!
I am grateful to have friends that take seriously the call of Jesus on our lives. Community is blessing in abundance and I could never Mutiny against excess without you ladies keeping me in check and challenging and encouraging me.
Join the Mutiny,
I dropped off my items to World Relief on Tuesday! It feels so good to 1. give, and 2. have my bedroom back! And, I got my mom on board with helping to furnish an apartment. A number of things that I gave were on the good neighbor list. Do we count that for furnishing or are we all going to collect our items together and then turn them in? Oh, and can you send me copies of the pics from Saturday? Too cute!