For some time I have pledged not to buy new clothes for myself because I disagreed with the consumerism of the fashion industry that says you need new clothes every season just so you are not caught out wearing the wrong colour/style. I also disagree with the fact that cheap clothes are not made without someone being exploited somewhere in the supply chain, and firms like Marks and Spencer who pledge to be ethical are just too expensive.
I know I can't make things right by opting out of the system, but I feel that by only wearing pre-owned clothes I am using what people have discarded and am not contributing to the consumerism that offends me.
This year I realised I may be a little too fond of looking in charity shops. Just because something only costs £3.50 does not mean I need it. So I pledged not to buy any clothes for myself for a year. This was not a promise not have any new clothes, just not to buy any.
It's not as difficult as may be expected as we have the "clothing store" at church where people donate clothes they no longer need and where anyone can have a look to see if there is anything they need.
Also I have friends who regularly turn up with clothes they are getting rid of to see if anyone in community can make use of them.
So far this year I have been blessed with all sorts of things that I needed. Just recently however I have been thinking I need some more undies as I had not anticipated what I had going threadbare in the course of a year (!) Today someone brought a sack of clothes they were getting rid of, including several sets of Next undies still with the shop tags in. I was really really blessed by that. Not just because it meant I did not have to break my pledge, but that it showed me that God really does know what we need.
Looking back on all the stuff I have received this year I realise how much God does want to bless us and provide for us, but we don't give Him the chance. If we run out to the shops to meet our own needs (or wants or whims) then we are not giving God the chance to show us how he does want to provide.
When I was a child I used to read the scripture about God providing for the sparrows and think "That's OK for sparrows, but I am a human being". I can now testify that when we pause and trust God to provide then he most certainly does.
Saturday 18 August 2012
I'm glad I know you...
I was thinking recently about how knowing different people has influenced my character, how a little bit of all the different people we know rubs off on us. Not that we become clones of each other, but each of us is a little bit more rounded than we we would have been left by ourselves.
The most simple example of this would be how people pick up catch phrases from each other. If I over hear someone saying "thank you lots" I recognise that as something I would say.
When I was at my Grandma's funeral I found that my cousins wanted to great us with a hug rather than a handshake. Generally my personal space is about 3 miles wide, so I would have found that very difficult except that Patrick and Heather have been part of our congregation for about 3 years and they great everyone with a hug all the time. I have learned from them to be a more huggy person.
When I went up to Scotland to visit my sister I wanted to take the kids out to a zoo or similar, but they wanted to go to a theme park. That's not something I would normally do, and my default mode would be to duck out and let everyone else enjoy themselves while I watch from the sidelines. This time I felt free to go for it and join in. The kids found it quite funny that Aunty Jo screamed all the way down on the water slide. So, what has helped me to break out and express myself more? I think a big part of it is our cell group where we have done things like adventure courses and walking through abandoned railway tunnels. In trying to keep up with the teenagers and not let them down by being boring I have found confidence to have a go. Having Hannah in the group has helped me to be less reserved and to worry less about "being responsible"
There are probably more examples of how other people's behaviour has influenced or inspired me. I also hope there are things which have rubbed off from me to them.
The most simple example of this would be how people pick up catch phrases from each other. If I over hear someone saying "thank you lots" I recognise that as something I would say.
When I was at my Grandma's funeral I found that my cousins wanted to great us with a hug rather than a handshake. Generally my personal space is about 3 miles wide, so I would have found that very difficult except that Patrick and Heather have been part of our congregation for about 3 years and they great everyone with a hug all the time. I have learned from them to be a more huggy person.
When I went up to Scotland to visit my sister I wanted to take the kids out to a zoo or similar, but they wanted to go to a theme park. That's not something I would normally do, and my default mode would be to duck out and let everyone else enjoy themselves while I watch from the sidelines. This time I felt free to go for it and join in. The kids found it quite funny that Aunty Jo screamed all the way down on the water slide. So, what has helped me to break out and express myself more? I think a big part of it is our cell group where we have done things like adventure courses and walking through abandoned railway tunnels. In trying to keep up with the teenagers and not let them down by being boring I have found confidence to have a go. Having Hannah in the group has helped me to be less reserved and to worry less about "being responsible"
There are probably more examples of how other people's behaviour has influenced or inspired me. I also hope there are things which have rubbed off from me to them.
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