“…and moths have eaten your clothes.” – James 5:2
When I first moved to Charlotte, one of my co-workers and I had a conversation about what church he went to and other churches in the Charlotte area. A few days later, I decided to listen to one of the sermons online in the background while I was working. Very early on in the sermon, part of a verse in James hit me hard. “…and moths have eaten your clothes.” The pastor went on to say that while our brothers and sisters have no clothes to wear, we have so much in our closet that the moths are eating it because we do not have the opportunity to wear it all.
This hit hard. My closet is jam packed, my drawers barely close, my laundry basket is constantly over flowing. I can “lose” items of clothing and have no idea that they are missing. There are people in my city, who “lose” an item of clothing and then have to hide in shame because they aren’t wearing anything.
A friend of mine had been toying with the idea of not buying clothes, shoes or accessories for an entire year. I encouraged her to go through with it, but wanted a way to come alongside of her during the year. As someone who’s shopping addiction used to be out of control but has since been tamed, I knew that giving up shopping for a year isn’t what I needed to do. It was quickly very evident that what I needed to do, over the next year, was to get rid of half of my wardrobe and donate it to an organization in Charlotte that will give to it women who need it. Maybe someone who will be working their first professional job and needs business attire. Maybe someone who left an abusive situation with just the clothes off her back. Maybe someone who lost everything. Maybe someone who is struggling to see herself as beautiful, but can put on a dress that was just hanging in my closet, and will feel beautiful for the first time in a long time.
I’m posting this not as a look at me, but a hey, help hold me accountable. Yes, there will be things that will be very easy to give away. But then there will be things that I want to keep, even though I have 17 of the same thing. There will be times, when I forget my heart behind what I am doing and get prideful. There will be times when I want to give up and just keep everything. I think the first fourth will be easy to rid myself of. But then it will come down to items of clothing that I want, but do not need. There was a time in my life, when football season was approaching, so I would go buy 6-7 new garnet and black dresses and tops. I see now that it was excessive, but that also means there are a lot of garnet and black dresses in my closest with only 6-7 Saturday’s in the fall to wear them. Yes, I wear them on other occasions too, but still there is excess. I also want to keep my shopping in check. When I do go shopping, for however many items I bring home, I will get rid of that number from my wardrobe.
The moths are coming and I would much rather someone in need wear the clothes I do not wear, than have the moths eat them.
Carolina Lifestyle 
