7: A treasure in the field

7 articles of clothing has finally wrapped up -- and I tell you what -- I have never enjoyed wearing a skirt to church so much.  I am also glad to be able to wear shorts.  Who knew the end of March would be so warm?  I pretty much ended up with only two shirts most of the month because the black long sleeved shirt that I included for layering those last cold days of winter was not needed since spring arrived early.  I am mostly glad to not have to keep up with the laundry of my 7 items.  That was quite difficult.  More then once I found myself smelling just a bit because I forgot to throw my other shirt in  the laundry the day before.

I think my mis-matched flip-flops were a hit.  They really opened up conversation to tell others how God was working through my "weird" experiment.  In fact, I accidentally slipped them on to carry stuff out to the car on Sunday morning and forgot to change.  They may continue to make an appearance through out the summer, just because it reminds me of where part of my heart still lies, in the DRC.   

What was the point of all of that?  There is just something to me about living it out.  I am not content to just talk about it -- I want the experience.  I also have come to terms that "sacrifice" is a foreign word in my vocabulary.  I spend very little effort challenging myself to do without, but spend a lot of time indulging in what I can have.  God is teaching me as I intentionally do without.  For me it has to be intentional.  My "normal" I am realizing is abnormal when it matches up to God's word.  The question I keep coming back to is -- "What do I do about it?"

"Jesus said the kingdom was like a treasure hidden in a field, and once someone truly finds it, he will happily sell everything he owns to possess that field, a perfect description of the fasting and the feast. It will cost everything, but it is a treasure and an unfathomable joy. This is the balance of the kingdom; to live we must die, to be lifted we bow, to gain we must lose. There is no alternative definition, no path of least resistance, no treasure in the field without the sacrifice of everything else. Oh Lord, may we be focused on the least; a people balancing the fasting and the feast."
   --Hatmaker, Jen (2011-12-19). 7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess (pp. 174-175). B&H Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

At the end of this first month, I feel a question plaguing my heart --- "What am I willing to give up to follow Jesus?  What is the cost for me?"  It ended up being my small group lesson last night.  In some way, I am searching for the treasure hidden in the field.  I want that unfathomable joy.  I just feel that is where we, as a church, as Christians go wrong.  We think we can follow Jesus without the cost.  It always costs.  You know what is hitting me right now like a ton of bricks is WHAT IT COST HIM!

Compared to that, well what I am attempting to do really seems meaningless.  Yet, I know it is a start.  I feel God working a new normal in my soul... and there is JOY that goes with it.  My husband continues to question me "Why can't you be happy with where you are at?"  I think it is because I have been doing it all wrong.  The unfathomable joy will come, but only at a cost.  

I have already come up against a challenge: EASTER.  I always doll up my family for Easter and we do buy new outfits.  This is when we do our family picture.  I already told Craig that we needed to go shopping.  I even justified it all because this would be our first family picture with ZALEN.  I wanted us to all look nice.  I didn't think twice about it.  The clothing restriction wrapped up at the end of March.  April is free and clear... But conviction came even as I tried to argue my way out..."But God, I am not a big shopper.  I rarely buy clothes.  Most of my kids clothes are hand me downs that you have blessed me with or yard sale deals -- so is it really wrong to want to look nice for Easter?  I will get a good deal on it - Kohl's always has good deals."  God whispered ever so softly in my heart... "Do this for me."  It was simple.  God wanted me to live it out, the lesson He worked on teaching me all last month.  I looked into the closets and found the girls matching dresses from my brother's wedding which would do just fine - and the boys have similar matching green shirts.  A shopping trip awhile back I had fallen for a purple dress, that was deeply discounted, and threw it to the back of my closet.  I know it would work for my Easter dress.  Craig has several shirts that would work I am sure.  There was no need for a shopping trip... only a want.

So instead of Kohl's getting the money, the money spent on new Easter clothes will be going into the KaKa School fund.  We are still gearing up to the yard sale.  We are thinking the last Saturday of this month.   

What is next?  The food challenge... Oh my!  Can I be honest and say I am not looking forward to the food challenge.  I am waiting until after Easter to start this challenge.  I still have my weaknesses people and I will enjoy Easter dinner without guilt.  :-)  Starting April 1st, I am only drinking water.  Yes, only water.  This is a gi-HUGE-ic challenge as I am an avid coffee drinker.  I have never given up coffee before.  Not for lent.  I didn't even give it up to join Shauney when she fasted for a month without it for her mission trip. (coffee trumps friendship--I might be addicted?!)  I have slowly been weaning myself off caffeine (tea, soda and coffee) through the end of the month.

My 7 food challenge will begin after Easter Sunday and will go through the end of April.  My 7 foods will be:
  1. Chicken Breast
  2. Wheat Bread
  3. Potatoes
  4. Broccoli
  5. Cheese
  6. Eggs
  7. Rice

Besides salt and pepper, I am allowing butter as a condiment.  Please keep desserts and coffee far from me.  I may do very irrational things.  As far as my project.... since my yard sale hasn't quite happened yet - I will have to have two going on.  I want to focus on WATER.  I want to purchase water filters of some kind.  There is such a need for clean water in other countries.  I want to be thankful that water coming out of my faucet that is clean and disease free.  I will blog about this later as I have several things in my mind.

I just leave you with one question - How are you balancing the fasting and the feast?