The Clothing Fast: Sharing

If you missed Part 1, you might want to read that first. It's my own little story.

For awhile God has been teaching something that's hard to really put into words. And he's been using my kids to make it real to me.


As a mom of multiple kids, I try to teach my kids about life and about God. As they get older (they are currently 5-10), their worlds open up and change. One kid plays football, one goes to a friends for the night, two get to spend the weekend with Grandma. They don't live identical lives. Sometimes I hear this: It's not fair. 

They are right, it's not always fair. Life is not always fair. 

But you know what I expect? Sharing.

It's pretty simple really. If one kid got candy at Grandma's (like that would ever happen), she shares it with the others when she gets home. If someone get 20 glow-bracelets for his birthday, he divvies them.

To see some of my kids hoarding while the others have none would make me mad. Tootsie rolls from the parade, yes. But even more so if they refused to share something really important.

As God's kids, what does he expect of us?

Sharing. At least that is what Isaiah 58 tells me. And 2 Corinthians 9:11. 

Suppose someone has enough to live and sees a brother or sister in need,

but does not help.

Then God's love is not living in that person.

My children, we should love people not only with words and talk,

but by actions and true caring.

1 John 3:17

That verse and verse 16, we memorized as a family. So in the mornings as we were eating our breakfasts we would go over and over and over it. It was posted on the fridge for months. My plan was for God to use it to impact my kids. 

But you know God. 

It grabbed a hold of my heart! 

Do I have enough to live? Ha! For reals? I could go weeks and not have to wear the same thing twice. I use my garbage disposal for leftovers that turned gross in my fridge. I have enough water that I can water my flowers. My bathroom is as big as my African friends' house! 

So I thought, hmm, this verse must be talking about me.

For about a year this thought rumbled around my head. 

Now I'm not not saying that we should feel guilty about what God has given us. We shouldn't.

But somehow, I feel responsible. Because I am. Right? 

And then, towards the end of my clothing fast, I saw something that made me go Yes! YES! YES!! THIS IS CRAZY! LET'S NOT MISS THIS!

You might have seen it on Facebook. 

upworthy.com

Wow. What do we do with that?

It's sorta like staring at my consumerism in the eyeballs. Yikes. Is it that way for you too?

Instead of beating ourselves up, let's do something positive.

Because I'm guessing that if you are reading this than you are like me in a lot of ways. We worry about the Sunglasses more than the Access to Clean Water.

What if we all simply shared?

Instead of eating all our parade candy, what if we shared it with those who didn't get any?

What if, instead of using all that we have on ourselves we shared it with those who don't have the basics?

And I'm not talking about tithing. 

What if we let go of something we want, to give to someone else who needs. 

Instead of buying the handbag, we share our money? 

Instead of buying the cologne for ourselves, we buy the food for someone else?

My sisters, girlfriends, amigos- our closets are full, aren't they? We love our clothes. What if we would just enjoy the clothes we already own for a month instead of buying new stuff?

Could you do it for 3 months? 6 months?

Or maybe it's something else that God is wanting you to share? Buying new music, coffee, that motorcycle, whatever.

Will you join me? 

I have a couple hundred bucks I saved up by not buying clothes. I am going to give it to a Babies Home in Uganda where they really need things. Like food for hungry bellies and clothes for naked booties.


What is God asking you to share?