7 Challenge for Lent: Week 2- Clothes

For week 2 of my Lent challenge, based on the book 7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess, by Jen Hatmaker, was to wear seven items of clothes. I did this for 7 days. This was not a big challenge for me. I am not super fashionable, and "into" style and clothes. I didn't mind too much wearing 7 items. It was simple. I didn't wear any jewelry, scarves, wore one coat, and my 7 items!

Here are my 7 items:

This week of 7 doesn't include underwear, socks, or a bra. Those things are exceptions.
My first item was shoes-- I only wore two pair of shoes. I chose a dressier pair that I could wear for church and teaching. My second item was khaki slacks, also to be worn to church and teaching (but I ended up missing church this week due to a cold.) Item number three was my flannel-lined jeans. I had checked the weather forecast and knew it was going to be cold most of the week, so I didn't decide to wear "regular" jeans.

One of my outfits...

The 4th item on my list was a shirt. I had written down my white turtleneck, but I wore a red long-sleeve shirt (not a turtleneck) and I'm glad I did. It was nice to be able to wear the red shirt to bed if I needed to. It was nice to have a splash of color too! Fifth was another shirt. I chose my black long-sleeve tee, which is very comfy and could also be worn to bed.

and this was the other outfit...

Sixth, I wore a sweater, since I knew it was going to be cold most of the week. It was hard to choose just one sweater, but I chose my black, long, hooded sweater with a tie at the waist. After wearing it almost every day, and in place of a robe in the mornings, I am pretty tired of that sweater! Last, I chose yoga pants. I wore these to bed every night and to my exercise class on Tuesday.

It was a bit of an adjustment for me. The first morning, out of habit, I put on my ring and watch that I usually wear. I took them off about a minute later when I realized it! I nearly always wear a ring, a necklace, a watch, and earrings. I like to wear scarves in the winter. Sometimes after wearing my pants for a day or two, I need to wear a belt. But I didn't wear one last week, I just hiked my pants up.  I really missed my watch. There is our front living room in our home that does not have a working clock. I realized how often I look at it when I didn't have it! The first few days were the hardest to adjust to it.

I did violate 7 one day, when I was sick. I wore my robe instead of my sweater. It was just so much more comfortable when I was sick, achy and tired. I thought it was a decent reason to wear my robe. It was just part of the day, though. I also didn't wear slippers during the day at home. I usually wear my slippers during the day when the floor is cold to my feet. I ended up wearing two pair of socks most days, and slipper socks a lot. It was a good challenge though. I was very happy to wear my slippers again though!

I appreciated the simplicity of my clothing for this week. It made my time getting ready in the mornings slightly shorter, not worrying about the accessories. My kids didn't even really seem to notice. My son told me on Sunday that I should change into pajamas when I didn't feel good. I explained that what I was wearing were my pajamas, that I've been wearing 7 items of clothes this week. I'd been wearing the sweater for FOUR days. He was surprised. "You have? Hmm, I didn't notice..." It made me chuckle. I thought for sure my own family would notice what I wore... He's 12 though, and wears the same sweatshirts a lot!

It was a little extra laundry too. I washed my jeans, sweater and shirts at least twice during the week. I washed them before I began too. I wondered if my cold came from wearing the same sweater for several days and picking up germs from my kids... I'm not sure though.

You can read about the book 7, and my first week on my blog here.

The challenge for this next week is Possessions-- to give away 7 items each day. This will not be hard for me! I have plenty of stuff I can clear out of closets, drawers, and bins. I plan to donate it to somewhere new though. Not the same third party store that I usually do. That will be a challenge for me to get out of my comfort zone!


I meditated on this verse this week again:

Matthew 6:25-27 

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? (this is said by Jesus)

This is a prophecy about Jesus, and humbling to think about...

Psalm 22:18
They divide my clothes among them and cast lots for my garment.


James 2:1-4
My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism. Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in. If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?