Liz Schauer

The first two weeks of Lent have been hard at times, easy at others, full of abundant moments and dry ones, enjoyably simple, and simply challenging.

If you’re just joining in, a group of friends and I are on a seven week journey to simply our lives to make more space for God to move. Week One we limited our food consumption to seven items (chicken, eggs, avocado, spinach, wheat bread, apples, and sweet potatoes). Week Two (which ends Tuesday evening), we limited our clothing to seven items. My seven included: one pair of jeans, a black cardigan, a black button up blouse, a white v-neck, sweatpants, a striped v-neck, and my Vans boots.

Week One was incredibly difficult. I love food, I love cooking food, I enjoy inventing new dishes…One Christmas my parents bought me spices, only spices, and I couldn’t have been more excited. While cutting down our food options made grocery shopping twelve times easier and faster, I struggled. I found myself day-dreaming about food and planning out what food I would have the first day after my fast (I ate a cupcake for breakfast that morning in case you were wondering).

In the midst of it, God spoke. I wrote a few posts about the things he taught me in Exodus and Leviticus. I am so grateful that our God answers when we call. My flesh was weak, but my spirit was full that week. The hunger in my stomach reminded me of the hunger I desire to have for Jesus each moment of my life. The Bible talks a lot about fasting, and somehow, it has become something we all forget to do or make excuses for why we can’t do it. It’s a lost spiritual discipline, but it is an essential one. It’s not about who can give up what for how long; it’s about recognizing our weakness and turning to our Father. Week One of Lent opened my eyes to the movement of God in our midst and his sustaining power in our feebleness.

Week Two was not very difficult from a ‘sacrifice’ standpoint, but it was incredibly freeing. In the recent months, I have grown to love fashion. I enjoy shopping and putting outfits together. Oftentimes, that leaves me obsessing about the frequency of my outfits – God forbid I wear mustard yellow pants two weeks in a row!

Each night, I plan out my outfit for the following day. If I don’t, it takes me at least three times longer to get ready and I rarely pick the ‘right’ outfit the first time. This past week, I haven’t had to do that. I was either going to wear my black blouse or my stripped v-neck (the white v-neck was for sleeping in). Hello easiest choice ever!

I also learned that people don’t really care about what you wear (within reason) and they do not recognize the frequency of your outfits as much as you may think they do. Before this week began, I worried about what people might think about me wearing the same thing every day/every few days. In the midst of my snowballing thoughts, I asked myself, “Would I notice if someone wore the same outfit twice in one week?” Honestly, I probably wouldn’t. We become so obsessed with ourselves and how others view us. Truth is, they don’t notice (maybe a select few would, but those folks are rare).

With one day left in Week Two, I feel free. My identity is not found in the clothes I wear.

What does Week Three have in store? Possessions…well, a reduction of them! Each day, we will give away seven items. I can’t wait to simplify my stuff!

And with that, I will close with a quote from Jen Hatmaker, the author of Seven, the book that inspired this Lenten journey.

I don’t want to consume the redemption Jesus made possible then spurn the methods by which He achieved it. Jesus’ kingdom continues in the same manner in which it was launched; through humility, subversion, love, sacrifice; through calling empty religion to reform and behaving like we believe the meek will inherit the earth. We cannot carry the gospel to the poor and lowly while emulating the practices of the rich and powerful. We’ve been invited into a story that begins with humility and ends with glory; never the other way around. Let’s align ourselves correctly, sharing in the humble ministry of Jesus, knowing one day we’ll feast at His table in splendor.