30 Days of Happiness :: Day 9

Happiness is prayers answered!

Then He said to His disciples, “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will put on. Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing. Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; and God feeds them. Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. If then God so clothes the grass, which today is in the field and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith?
Luke 12: 22-24, 27- 28

I have been in desperate need of clothes. I am often embarrassed by my ill-fitting, stained, holey, hand-me-down clothes. Occasions like weddings, parties, and even church leave me feeling a depressed and anxious as I rummage through my ragtag wardrobe searching for something appropriate and mildly flattering to wear.

There is no money in the budget for new clothes and even if there was, I hate shopping and being able to buy one new shirt, though nice, isn't going to solve the overall lack of suitable clothes. Furthermore, given the extreme state of need many people the world over suffer through, it feels shallow and selfish to even complain about what I have.

That said, the Lord knows my needs and I have been patiently stalking the Asheville Freecycle for several months now with the peace that God would provide for me through this website. I've seen many offers for women's clothes come and go. Our freecycle is quite active and if you don't catch the post within minutes or seconds of it being posted, you can be sure someone else has already responded with a request for the item offered. I've been disappointed a few times, having really thought that I might get a bag of clothes offered.

Last night the Lord answered my needs, Mightily!! He is SO GOOD! I saw a post offering women's clothes and I made my request to the offerer. When I got the call that I had been chosen, I was genuinely shocked. It is sort of like winning the lottery where you have no idea if what you won is actually of any value. The man told me that these clothes were his adult daughter's that she'd outgrown and he had---- wait for it, wait for it...... 6! Yes, 6! garbage bags full if I wanted them!

I picked them up this morning and I am floored with gratitude. These clothes are clean, in great condition and fairly stylish. They are all in my size!! My size! Wow! I have grown accustomed to wearing too big or too small since the babies came along. The clothes are mostly business casual and dressier than I normally wear on a daily basis and not necessarily my style. (Though, I have to say, I abandoned "my style" years ago in favor of whatever mostly free clothes I could gain. I will wear just about anything and make it work.) I guess I will be dressing a little bit fancier from now on :) It will be nice after a summer of wearing 3 hand me down t-shirts and 3 pairs of shorts 3 sizes too big.

Here is the count of what I given today (basically a whole wardrobe):

19 dressy shirts
16 sweaters and cardigans
15 casual shirts
15 pairs of slacks
7 pairs of jeans
9 pajama type clothes
4 dresses
1 skirt

Can you believe it? I know they are just clothes, but to me, they are more than that, they are the loving provision of my Father in heaven.

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find;knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds,and to him who knocks it will be opened. Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heavengive good things to those who ask Him!"
Matthew 7:7- 11