Day 5 - The GREAT CLOSET CLEAN OUT BEGINS!! 40 Bags in 40 Days

1 Corinthians 1:8-9New International Version (NIV)

8 He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

My friend Andrew posted this on his FaceBook page a few days ago. It really resonated with me:

"Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, Communion without confession, absolution without personal confession. Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate.

Costly grace is the treasure hidden in the field; for the sake of it a man will go and sell all that he has. It is the pearl of great price to buy which the merchant will sell all his goods. It is the kingly rule of Christ, for whose sake a man will pluck out the eye which causes him to stumble; it is the call of Jesus Christ at which the disciple leaves his nets and follows him. Costly grace is the gospel which must be sought again and again, the gift which must be asked for, the door at which a man must knock." ― Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship

As a Christian we have a responsibility. You just don't "believe" and that's it. The Bible says even the demons believe. We have a responsibility to Christ, to ourselves, and to others.

With 40 Bags in 40 Days, I'm hoping for me that it's not a one time thing during Lent, but something that I can implement into my life. I want to be more mindful of others. It's easy to get rid of the things I don't use or want, but what about the discipline that comes with giving up the things that are important to me to help others. What about giving my time, my talent, and my treasure. The things that are "mine"! It's not quite as easy. My goal is to not just give up the easy stuff, but give up things that are valuable to me. I'm not only talking about the clutter, but the things I've given up for Lent. It's always easy to give up FaceBook, Dr. Pepper, sweets, etc., but what about giving up something more substantial?

For today's bag, I'm tackling my closet and Dave's closet. One of my favorite guilty pleasure movies is "The Birdcage." (save the posts of judgment for another time please). One of the lines Nathan Lane's character, Albert, says, "I've lost and gained over 100 lbs this year. I've went from a size 16 to a size 10...". My closet is reflective of this quote. I've got clothes that no longer fit, I never wear, and are just taking up space. Dave is the same way. Thankfully, I'm glad to say that they are too big, and not too small. (Go Us!!)

Now, trying to focus on more mindful giving - here in the Houston area they have little mini sheds for lack of a better word that you can dump your clothes into. There are signs that say Susan G. Komen, Cancer Society, ARC, etc. After further investigation, I found out that these are all owned by private companies and pay a very small portion (sometimes less than 1%) to the charity they advertise for. You may ask why would these organizations allow their names to be put on these sheds. One reason is because every bit of money helps, so it helps them as well. Sometimes they don't even know that they are being used though. Many times, the clothes donated are often sold to other companies to make rags or to recycle. I have no problem with that in theory. After all, who wants to wear a pair of acid washed jeans from the early 90's?? Not that I have a pair in my closet. However, I do want the benefit to actually go the charity I am supporting.

So, I called around and looked on the Internet. Many places have a Salvation Army Thriftstore. 100% of everything donated goes right to the organization and to help people. They employ people, give ESL classes, feed and clothe the homeless, etc. They do receive an abundance of clothes, so they do sell them to a third party to recycle, but the money goes directly into the charity. For Dave's suits, ties, dress shirts, and jackets there is an organization that dresses men for success. They help men who are out of work get retrained and practice their interviewing skills. For some of my nicer items, they have the same program for women. Just like with the blankets that I'm sewing, there are women's shelters who are in need of women's clothes and children's clothing as well. So, there are organizations out there who need your clothes. More so than the for profit sheds set up. I'm not saying all clothing sheds are privatized and for profit. In fact, there is usually a toll free number you can call and they have to tell you how much of what you give actually goes to the charity they are advertising for.

This is going to be a daunting project since we each have a walk in closet. I'll keep you posted on how many bags we end up donating. I'll also do a before and after of the "Great Closet Cleanout" as it's been titled here at our house. I may be OCD and a clean freak, but somehow my closet doesn't always convey that. Yikes! Tomorrow's blog will have a comprehensive closet clean out and organization guide.

One of the biggest gripes I have with certain aspects of Christianity (and that's not the right phrase) is the lack of empathy and grace we extend to others. It's really easy to send off a check to our missionary society for people in far off countries, and have a compassionate heart. However, when it comes to the people closest to us, our coworkers, neighbors, friends, and family we sit in judgment and apathy.

We've become cynical and hardened when we see a homeless person begging on the street. We turn up our noses when we see someone of another faith on the street. We glare at the same sex couple holding hands. We look at the liberal/conservative with contempt. We have forgotten that inside each of those human beings is a soul that is in need of a Savior. Their soul is worth just as much as or yours. 1 Corinthians 6:20 tells us that we were bought with the price. It was the same price that was paid for everyone else that we come into contact with - whether or not they have accepted Christ.

The verse finishes with, "therefore honor God with your bodies." We need to honor God by being a reflection of His love to others. We may not agree with them or their choices, but we need to love them, and be Christ to that person. There's an old song that says, "you're the only Jesus that some will ever see."

I fail at this time and time again. Especially when I'm driving. I tend to get road rage, and I've been known to flash the international sign of peace once or twice - which is why I refuse to put any sort of church or Christian-y bumper sticker on my car. All kidding aside, as much as I want to be a good representation of Christ, I'm not. I have strong opinions, and will sit in judgment just as much as the next person. It's also very easy to do on social media, and in light of the political climate we are now facing. Time and time again I've had a kind friend or two tell me when I'm guilty of lumping a whole group of people together and passing judgment.

My prayer daily is for me to see others as Jesus sees them, and to love others as Jesus loves them. It's easy to mix up the sin with the sinner, and forget that the person we are looking at in judgment is important for who they are not what they've done. In the dramedy 28 days, Viggo Mortenson says, "those are just things you've done, not who you are." We are much more than the things we've done, and valued so much that a man died on the cross for us so that the things we've done wouldn't keep us from heaven.

So, what kind of Jesus are people seeing based on your actions?