My wife and I were getting ready to head to worship with our church yesterday morning, and I was about all dressed and ready to go when my wife requested that I change so that we might get a picture of us together in which we matched more than we were already. I acquiesced and went to alter my attire, and while standing in our walk-in closet--a much-desired feature of our new apartment as we were looking at it--and doing a bit of complaining in my mind about having to change clothes, I was struck by the absurdity of the situation: there I was in a room full of clothes with which I have been blessed, and instead of being grateful for what I had to use and wear, I had complained!
Every few months I make a point to weed out my "stuff," especially clothes. I am of simple, staple tastes when it comes to clothes, and when I find something I like, I wear it over, and over, and...well, suffice it to say that jeans can absolutely go a week without being washed, and the more they are worn and washed, the better they get. That being the case, I try to thin out my wardrobe every so often, but even when I am done, there is still an abundance of clothing for me to enjoy.
Faced with necessity, I have found I can go day to day with very little clothing variety. For five weeks in Europe, I had two pairs of long shorts, a pair of jeans, a few undershirts, and a brace of polos. In that situation, where it was understood that everyone in the group had the clothes in their bag and not much else, the repetition was expected. I wish it were that way in "real life"--where the home and workplace are. I could make it that way, but as much as i like to tell myself I do not care what people think of me, I still find myself pondering in the morning before heading to work, "when did I last wear that shirt with those pants and this sweater? Has it been long enough where I could get away with running a repeat?" Instead, could I not simply wear, cheerfully and gratefully, what comes to hand, thankful for what God has provided for me?
Monday, February 15, 2010
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