The Art of Slow
I am writing from a place of conviction. It's a beautiful place, not many would tell you that. Many times when we think of the word conviction, it can induce a sort of shame--where our pride is exposed and we feel raw. But that's the beauty of it. The rawness of life, where no facades or perfectly curated charms can reflect away the unrefined.
My conviction is realizing I've been in the chase for more. It's a struggling temptation, to want more from every facet of my life. I had been in that race for longer than I should have, and God has been waking me up to that.
The 20 piece Challenge, truly started out as a fun little idea. I was curious about it, wanting to see if it would get me to be creative. What I discovered was that it was possible to do it. Even in the Midwest weather where you could have the tease of Spring, then be placed right back in Winter with a giant blizzard. (That is what currently is happening as I write this) However, God took this, dug deeper, rattled me to understand the chase I had been on.
See, more is an endless race. It's what we as a society thrive on. The new gadget, new car, fancy outfits, more, more, more. We exhaust ourselves, our families, with activities, obligations because we struggle to say No. We people please to a certain point, keeping up with the social roles that we give ourselves. The striving for having it all, while secretly losing it all as well.
This conviction had me turning to my what I was so accustomed to doing; shopping. Spending, browsing, collecting, all to fill this need. I stopped myself one day, coming across articles through my Instagram feed about the true cost of what Fashion is doing to our culture, our whole world. I realized my clothing had already come with a story. Some of those stories were not happy ones. Overworked, under paid children of God (men and women and sometimes children) were working in harsh conditions to make my clothing. They were subject to harsh chemicals, toxins, and the threats that we cannot even fathom in our Western World Culture.
God was bringing this to my attention not to shame me, but to share his pain. His children, the ones he loves as well as me, are hurting. They are enslaved to make clothing, hoping for a better pay, feeling stuck because they have to provide. Because they have to provide for their families their bodies are subject to such toxins and pollutants that they can't escape. It just wrecks me. So for me personally this is what I heard, what I gathered in my reading.
I knew it was time for me to take responsibility. To take care of the garments I have and learn how to take ownership for those pieces. To be content with what I have, and stop getting on the chase for more.
This thing called Slow is about me pulling back from the consumerism tendencies and take a hard look at myself. It's to see what I have been gifted and to accept and take ownership in what I own. No more chasing for the sake of the chase. I am glad I started the challenge. I have found inspiration along my way, especially from those with a conscious consumer angle in their lifestyle. I recommend Gold Zipper in your daily read. She has a YouTube channel that is great as well. She is taking on the ethical style in her wardrobe, and created the 1 dress for 1 month challenge.
So my challenge is to see past the screens, and see what statement I can be for God.
