Day 23: Relapse.

     Well, if I'm going to boast my successes, it would only be fair to admit my failures. Allow me to set the stage. Yesterday, I posted some inspired words about letting go of my possessions to chase something greater. You would think I'd be coming off of a serious 7 high...immune from the consumeristic culture we're immersed in. Not so.

     I told Mike he could pick the restaurant at which we were going to eat...as long as I got a Bubblecake. Bubblecake. The gourmet cupcake shop that is nothing if not irresistable...irresistible...I don't know. Anyhow, I was craving a Creme Brulee cupcake. You know, a vanilla cupcake with creme brulee icing fired with a culinary torch? I could eat another one right now............

     Back to the story. I was tasked with running in to get the cupcake. I jogged through the cold rain, found my cupcake, ordered, paid, and that's when it happened. I looked to my right only to find a pretty little basket filled with the cutest t-shirt I have ever seen. (The cutest one? EVER? Really?! I'm so ridiculous.) It was white, with black three-quarter length sleeves, and a PINK cupcake stamped on the front. It was made of the softest, worn-it-for-ten-years fabric. I could envision myself snuggling in it. I could see myself licking the creme brulee icing off of my fingers while wearing the t-shirt. I had to have it. I felt that feeling welling up inside of me. I must have looked crazy to the saleslady who was staring at my inner struggle.

     I turned my Visa around in my hand. I looked at it. Then, at the t-shirt. At the saleslady. Then, I did it. I RAN. I'm talking full-sprint out of Bubblecake. To passers-by, I'm confident I looked as if I'd just held up the gourmet cupcake shop. I got in the car and said, "Drive." It was like a scene out of a Bonnie and Clyde movie. (I've never actually seen a Bonnie and Clyde movie. This is merely an assumption on my part.) I told Mike about my brief love affair with the shirt. I considered demanding that he turn around and take me back to the cupcake shop. I told him to talk me down!!

     Finally, my precious husband said, "It's JUST A SHIRT! We are fighting against this, Melissa. This is what 7 is all about. Right here. This moment."

     I felt bad. He was right. (This is not a statement I frequently make.) 7 is great when my head is in the game. But, if I let down my guard for 8 seconds, I'm sucked back into the whirlwind. This was the moment when I realized that I'm training myself for the rest of my life. I'm re-writing my attitude toward acquisition. I don't want 7 to be a season. I want it to re-teach me how to live. Because, even if I did just reject the cutest shirt ever in life, I got up this morning and my life was lacking nothing.

Day 22: Don't Waste Your Life

The Beaudoin house has been a-buzz with Spring cleaning this week. How appropriate as we round out week 3 of 7. As you might recall, our challenge was to give away 7 things a day. Every day. Originally, we decided to give away 7 things as a family...not sure if we were going to be able to reach our total of 217 items. We completely underestimated how much stuff we have. So, we decided to go solo...trying to give away 7 things per person. And, independently, we have surpassed our goal. Beautiful.

Month 1 Goal: 434 items.
Month 1 Current Total: 446 items.

I told Malachi that his room is next. He clapped. Even he's getting in on the action.

Every closet has been cleaned, every drawer emptied, every corner inspected, every bed flipped, every shelf de-cluttered. As we were cleaning out the last room today, Mike and I had this conversation:

Me: I feel like I can breathe again.
Mike: Because you're not dying slowly from all the dust accumulated on this crap?
Me: Well, that, and I feel like this is more like what life is supposed to look like.

Stripped down. De-cluttered. Clean. Humble.

As the month has progressed, I've felt this growing disconnection with our stuff. Mike held up a tall Dr. Seuss-like, VT hat during our cleaning today. After we laughed about the prospect that he might ever wear it again, I commented on how happy a little boy will be to have a Hokie hat. I can see a little girl with a string of pearls on. I can see a mom with a new purse. I see a dad able to fix his kid's bike with his new tools. I can see a teenager posing in a new pair of jeans. I can see a cold family bundled in their new fleece blankets. I don't see myself in these things anymore. It just made giving them away that much easier.

Oh, that I can live with such an eye for meeting the needs of others everyday. My excess gets in the way of following Jesus more humbly. And, in the end, if I keep chasing stuff, I will have wasted my life. Wasted it. Loving God and Loving People. That's all there is. If I am not in the pursuit of loving God or loving people, what I am pursuing is worthless. So long, throw pillows, drill bits, earrings, sheet sets, guitars, towels, t-shirts, dining room table. I am trading you for a greater chase.

Day 11: The Tale of the Mason Jar

     At the start of 7: Month 1, Mike and I planned to give away 7 items each day for the entire month. With that goal in mind, by Day 11, we should have accumulated 77 items to go out. 

     Want the current total? 320 items. 

     I guess I thought this would be hard. When I explained Month 1 to my friends, the repeated response was, "7 things? Everyday?! You'll have nothing left!" I assure you. My house is plenty stocked...almost embarrassingly so, considering the amount of extrication we've done. I've been through my closet, my bedroom, my jewelry chest, my kitchen, my pantry, my linen closet (that was scary), my living room, and my dining room. That's the whole first floor. And, the most bizarre part? I feel like I've sacrificed nothing. I haven't missed even one item. As I added things to the "give away" pile, I grew more and more distant from my stuff. It's just stuff! I walk into the 7 storage room in our house (it's getting a little crowded in there) and I feel relief...not sadness.

      Now. I have an admission to make. I feel guilty telling you about it. But, tell, I shall, because you will likely enjoy the story and I need to make a point. I have a thing for Mason jars. They're just cute. They hold fireflies, lemonade, flowers, and pretty much anything Southern. Anytime I can slip a Mason jar into the situation, it gets infinitely better. When I hold one, I get all "Bless her heart" and my pretty, little southern drawl makes a comeback. My point: I love 'em.

     Anyhow, Martha Stewart would be impressed with my desk at work. Everything has a home...in a pretty little container. The centerpiece of the cuteness was a big 16 oz. Mason jar. Did I mention I love Mason jars? Well, in a truly tragic incident, complete with 16 3-year-olds and a lovely afternoon teacher, my Mason jar (or, the thousands of pieces that used to be my Mason jar) found a new home: the trash can. In an attempt to curb my wrath, this precious teacher wrote me the most over-the-top apology letter in the history of the world. (He must've sensed my ridiculous attachment to my jar.) So, you would think, because my life is centered around learning about the worthlessness of possessions right now, I would hold my head high and laugh it off. I did not. In fact, my gut reaction was to take the eye-for-an-eye approach. My Mason jar for his firstborn son. After cooling off, however, I took a different approach. I remembered that I bought the jar from Wal-Mart, I reigned in my inner Southern Belle, and remembered the thing I've been learning this month: People are always more important than things. So, I tracked down the breaker of the jar, I gave him a hug, and I told him he could buy me another one for the low, low price of $20. Just kidding. It's just a jar. Sheesh.

Day 3-Mike Gets In On the Action

After looking at my newly thinned out closet, Mike decided to give it a go. I have to say, I helped with this entertaining activity and it felt good to see a few of his pieces...ahem, go.

His Total so Far: 58 items.
Family Grand Total: 167 items. Aye!

PS- Holly, I have a whole boxes of t-shirts ready to be quilted. I have this feeling it's not gonna be as easy as it looks. :)

Day 3

Sunday and Monday got away from me, so I played catch-up today. I decided to strike the most over-whelming collection first...my clothes! I needed to let go of 21 items for Sunday, Monday, and today.

Total items purged: 109!

That's not a joke. I got rid of 109 pieces of clothing. a) It's disgusting that I even own that much. b) I can't believe I can get rid of 109 things and still have a functional wardrobe. I'm only allowing clothes to account for Week 1, no matter how many pieces there are. And, quite honestly, I have this hunch that I've barely scratched the surface.

So, here's where I'm banking on some kind of audience. I have 109 things that need a new home. If, by the end of the week, I haven't made a personal connection with anyone who needs these things, I'm going to make a visit to the Blue Ridge Women's Shelter. But, I would much rather personally find a new owner for this stuff. So, if you, Sweet Reader, know of a good home for these things, let me know! I'll get it there.

With that being said, if you know of any physical need in our community during this month, please let me know. There are several others who are participating in 7, so if I can't personally meet the need, I'll be glad to work my magic with my little 7 circle! :)

On a completely un-related topic, my kid starting crawling this weekend. Bring on the baby gate...which I frequently trip over on the way down my stairs. Praise the Lord.

Month 1 Challenge: Possessions

    When Mike and I initially decided to do 7, I kind of thought we'd hear "Good luck with that" (drenched with sarcastic undertones). When explaining our plan, I figured we'd get strange stares and awkward silences. I'm surprised, however, that the most common response we got to our little adventure was "I want in!"
     Sure, we're stuck in our crazy little cycle of consumerism. But, we all want out. That's the most bizarre part of this whole thing. I explained to a friend this week how frustrated I get when I walk through my house. Seriously...there are things in here--I don't even know what they ARE! It's frustrating, to me, that I've spent so many hours working--so many hours away from my family--to buy so many things that don't matter at all. So, as my friend and I were talking, she kept repeating, "me too!" We all do it, and yet, we all hate that we do it.
     Anyway, the response that I got gave me hope. It doesn't have to be like this. We don't have to consume and waste the way that we do. There's a way out. There's got to be a door to let Jesus into this crazy cluttered life I live. I'm just hoping that this is a start.

So...Here it is...Month 1 Challenge: Possessions


     Before I can even touch the emotional, mental, and spiritual clutter, I have to get rid of the physical clutter. So,

1. One month.
2. We give away 7 things that we own.
3. Everyday.

     Don't laugh. I have this sneaky suspicion that it'll be easy to give away lots of my nifty, if completely impractical, kitchen tools. Clothes...no big deal. Shoes...kiss 'em goodbye. Tools...does it count if I give away my husband's impractical junk? But, oh...my throw blankets. I have one of every color, for every season, in every fabric you can imagine. I'm seriously concerned that I might have to give away one of my throw blankets. And, seriously...I have a special connection with each one. They make me happy...and warm. So, you can imagine my concern...

     Back to my point...my goal is to give these things away to those who need them. But, I think it's all too convenient to load things up and ship them off to Goodwill. We can avoid face-to-face contact with those who are in need. Makes it more comfortable to exist in my charmed world. So, I'm going to try to meet people who need the things I am giving up. 

    Anyhow, that's it...doesn't sound too bad, right? Sunday is Day 1. Let the de-cluttering commence.