I forgot to include this photo in Cora's six month post. First time to sit in a high chair!! Biggest girl!
Thank you to all of you who have been chiming in in the comments, via e-mail or text, etc.! It is so nice to share and process together and hear what you think. A blessing, indeed. Thanks.
Today I wanted to speak to this part of Rachel's comment:
"I have to admit that most often my desires to simplify do not come from altruistic motives, but rather, wanting to make life easier on myself. Ugh. I should pray about that."
I have felt exactly the same way at times through this process and then I had a big realization.
You know the book Leviticus?
ALL those RULES . . . ??????????
Do you know *why* God gave the Israelites all of those rules?
They were all in their best interest!!
They saved their lives, kept them healthy, made their lives easier, gave them gifts, grace upon grace!
The Sabbath?
That is *for us*!!!
It is a gift that God gives us that I know I, as well as most of you, I'm guessing, don't really even unwrap almost every week of every year.
Toward the end of 7 Jen writes:
"Hear this: I don't think God wants you to be at war with yourself.He sent the Prince of Peace to soothe those tumultuous waters already. Self-deprecation is a cruel response to Jesus, who died to make us righteous. Guilt is not Jesus' medium."
So, yes, for me, I spent a lot of time thinking that all this sorting of clothes might just be worth it because laundry would be easier *for me* (I think all the Flylady e-mails I'd read in the past were reminding me that she says this and that nothing I've tried that she's suggested had ever led me astray but I'd never before been willing to reduce my clothes) and I felt some guilt over if I was "doing this for the right reasons" and then I had that big realization.
God is FOR me!
Is laundry somehow part of the curse? Does God want me chained to my washer and dryer? This is ludicrous!
Does God want me loving on people including my husband, kids, family and friends? Yes! If I am not spending so much time doing laundry will that free me up to love on people and for goodness sake, just relax and recharge and renew? Yes! Are those all absolutely good things *including* the being still, enjoying myself and relaxing??? YES!
So, what I discovered about my laundry process in doing this is that I needed to be pretty strict about doing laundry twice a week BUT I always knew where to put things, it was WAY easier somehow mentally to do the laundry because I always ended up with an empty hamper to show for it and things all had a place and a purpose of getting worn again SOON and it all felt much more satisfying than the nebulous process of laundry when there are just PILES all around of clean, dirty, waiting to be put away, etc., etc., etc.
I would love to hear if you give any version of reducing your wardrobe or your kids' wardrobe, etc. a try and how it affects you.
Kelly
3 comments:
I throw all my closet clothes on the bed periodically and get rid of everything except what I use and love. This cuts down on clutter considerably, as well as on laundry!
Kelly When we lived in another country, we had 4 pair of bottoms. and 2 tops for each of them. I had 2 skirts that went with the tops. We wore one pair of bottoms 2 days in a row and changed the tops. Since we had a small washer and NO DRYER We had basically one set to wash, one set was on the dry lines and the other we had on. It worked great. If more folks did clothes in this manner we would be much better off. We all tend to generate to certain things anyhow and are continually washing the same items. Just my 2 cents worth.
I often do the turn all the hangars around and get rid of the ones that don't get turned back around. In fact, at the very minimum your journey has motivated me to do that.
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