it's all connected

I am learning that when Christ wants to teach you something new in your walk, He makes it extremely obvious. This explaining my current experience:
Huron Hills started a new series for the 6 weeks of Lent....CONSUMED. The goal, as stated by our pastor, is to free us from the bondage of consumerism and American culture. I would go beyond that....and mention the importance of repositioning ourselves toward God. Obviously, one of the big questions is, What consumes you? We all want to answer with Jesus. But I have to wonder if any of us can say it without delay.
Ken started off by naming a few statistics.... 20% of the developing world has 86% of the goods. We spend an average of 8 Billion dollars on cosmetics, 12B on perfume, and 17B on PET food. Many of the high breed animals...you know which ones I am speaking of! live better than 99% of the world.
He talked about how it doesn't matter how much money you make, you always want about 10% more.
The sermon had a variety of verses and adjectives for us to remember as well...I won't get into all that!
I got this book from Marcheta today called Bread and Wine: Reading for Lent and Easter. It's great!

One of the chapters is on stuff. The end of the chapter was very good: "How did we come to know that we are dying a slow unacknowledged death? Ant that the only way back to life was to set all our packages down and begin again, carrying with us only what we really needed? We travail. We are heavy laden. Refresh us, O homeless, jobless, possession-less Savior. You came naked, and naked you go. And so it is for us. So it is for all of us."

I think of all the unnecessary packages I carry. All the things that aren't what I am asked to carry. I sense this time a time of Christ's refreshing me.

Also, another thing I read today was from a commentary on James by J. Vernon McGee (for Bible Study with the girls). We are starting chapter 2 which deals with favoritism in the church....dealing with the rich and poor.... His description of how Jesus was born into poverty was similar to those I have read, but the following struck me....
"He was born in a borrowed stable. He had to borrow loaves and fishes from a little lad to feed the crowd. He spoke from a borrowed boat. He had a borrowed coin to illustrate the truth, He borrowed a donkey to ride into Jerusalem. He borrowed a room to celebrate passover. He died on a borrowed cross- belonging to Barnabas. They put him in a borrowed tomb- belongin to Joseph of Arimathea."

These borrowed items were quite significant in his life on Earth. Obviously God provided Jesus with everything he needed. He didn't have to buy it for himself. And he was totally taken care of.

It might be too extreme for me to think I can borrow everything! However, I don't think it's extreme to greatly look into how I spend money and at the things I take control of vs. the things I allow God to control. I think that's key.

I remember about 2 years ago sitting in the "Sinner's chair" at the Village as I confessed my gross spending habits. I was in tears and ready to change. God has really taken me on a journey through this and I definitely think it continues. I came from a place of wealth.... I have always had everything I have ever wanted. It's time for me to choose a simple life. Well, continue to walk into that choice.

I think this all definitely relates to my no makeup choice. It's all part of denying myself and picking up my cross to follow Him.

I will tell you I have never felt so ugly and the desire to be so invisible in my life. I have been struggling to make eye contact with people. I couldn't have been asked to give up anything more "precious" than my makeup! Yet, it's starting to get easier. I starting to see a change in the way I perceive myself and others.

So anyway, this season of Lent has started out to be an amazing experience where I am really learning what it means to deny myself.