New Years Resolution

I ended up making a New Years resolution, which I thought of for all of one minute.

The new years party at our house found people asking each other about resolutions, and I concreted mine by mentioning my idea to at least 10 people at once. No turning back now!

What's interesting is that what started out as a briefly entertained idea is now taking new shape and meaning for my life.

The resolution is: I will not buy any article of clothing for a whole year.

And there are 2 reactions I can imagine from the people I know:

1. (From someone who only buys clothes when the ones they're wearing are falling apart, and they therefore literally NEED to buy a pair of pants or a shirt, or they don't care about trends, or they get no joy in buying something new when they're feeling down):
"Really? That's going to be hard? Wow, okay. . . whatever, good for you! (you trendy, needy spoiled girl).

2. (From people in the middle who enjoy buying new clothes every once in a while, are not obsessed with trends, but like to be somewhat fashionable, like to look cute, and get bored with many of their clothes after about half a year):
"That's awesome! Good for you! That will be challenging, but it will be good to learn self-control."

(Number 2 is the only reaction I've gotten, but anyway. . . )

All this to say that my reasons for doing this have morphed a little, and I'm feeling more excited about what it means.

2 things really affirmed my idea and expanded it's scope:

1. An article my friend, Jess posted on my Facebook wall after I told her:
http://www.burnsidewriterscollective.com/social/2007/05/no_clothes_for_a_year.php
From which I decided on these constituents:
-I will not buy anything I can wear on my body, including shoes, socks, underwear, scarves, mittens, sunglasses, jewelry, pants, shirts, etc.
-I can sew anything I want during this year.
-I can accept gifts.

2. A sermon that my pastor at City Church gave about anxiety and provision.
He talked about the fact that if we aim for the Kingdom of God, we live counter-culturallyto the world.
He said the biggest threat to living Christianity today is consumerism. The idea that I must have this right now! This is a way of life that runs counter to Christianity. We underestimate the power of marketing, advertising, and consuming. Most churches minister to 30% of the culture. The other 70% is controlled by marketing. Society is being ministered to by product consumerism. It becomes about filling a void in our lives. It should be a Kingdom of God, not a kingdom of goods. There's always the Rockefeller mentality: How much is enough? 'Just a little more.' The only way to seek the Kingdom of God is to believe that he provides and that we are more treasured by God than we could ever know.
Then he mentioned 4 things Calvin says about keeping consumerism under control: Bear abundance moderately, know how to go without things patiently, be a good steward of what God's given you, and live within your means.
'Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without.'

Now, I suppose comparing all this to giving up clothes for a year might sound mightily arrogant or over-thought.
But I think what it boils down to for me, is that this is something tangible that I can change in my life right now.
It is a step I can make that will hopefully carry into the way I view my life in general; that reminds me that God provides, that I can't always have what I want when I want it, nor should I; that I can be more creative with what I have, and that I need so much less than I think I do.

So, that's my extremely long, probably redundant explanation of a choice I'm making this year.

Peace for real,
Audrey