Out With the Old in With the New 

Every start of a new year, I always like to go through my stuff and just do a cleaning out of old things. Maybe it is papers, cosmetics, food … you name it. One thing that has been especially hard for me to go through and get rid of is clothing. 

I tend to take really good care of my clothing so that it can last ten or even more years. I literally still have some clothing from high school. The problem is, like most women, I enjoy getting new clothes. And I do get new clothes quite often. So you can imagine that I have closets and drawers and boxes full of clothing. There is so much that I don’t think I could wear it all in a year even if I tried. 

This past year, after moving for who knows how many times, I finally came to the realization that I do not need all of that clothing and I am not going to wear most of it ever again. 

So even before this new year began, I painfully started going through all of my clothing and shoes. I made piles and filled trash bags. Some of it has been worn a bit – not in bad condition – but I made the decision to give some to the goodwill and those in need and I chose to sell others. Some ladies make quite a pretty penny selling their slightly used clothes on Poshmark and Mercari. 

Short blurb: If you have not heard of Poshmark or Mercari, they are just different apps where you can list clothing, shoes, home decor, all kinds of things. You can make some decent money by being honest about the condition, persistent about posting items for sale and quick about getting them out in the mail. If you have found that you have some products you want to sell and you think they look good enough that you would buy them again … start posting and see what happens. 

Let’s talk about cleaning things out – if you want to make a clean start this year, I am not saying go through and get rid of everything. Maybe you need to just start by getting rid of those socks that have holes in them and your favorite shirt that has stains on it. Let’s be classy ladies and remember there is no such thing as a “lucky” anything. 

If you have clothing that do not fit you anymore, sell it or give it away. You may be thinking that you are saving it for when you lose weight but why don’t you set a weight goal and when you reach it get yourself a brand new outfit with the money you made from the old one. That is how you really reward yourself. 

If you are holding onto certain items because you think they may come back into style, well you are probably right but by the time they come back into style, it will not fit your maturity level anymore. 

It is okay and even good to get rid of clothing and accessories. Designers are still going to be making clothing for years to come and I am sure you are going to be getting some more in the future. 

It is a good practice to go through and clean things out often, especially our clothing. I feel like for me, that is one thing that I just keep accumulating and have to constantly get rid of the old to make room for the new. 

Just as we are taking time to clean out our houses, closets and garages this new January, I feel Jesus saying that he wants to clean out our hearts. 

Our hearts can often times be like our houses. They have rooms and closets and we store things in different areas. Maybe it is a sin that we like to keep in the closet. We know it is old and disgusting but we cannot give ourselves to get rid of it. Jesus says we don’t need those holey socks anymore. He has a brand new pair of socks just for you to put on this year. He wants you to walk in newness with him. 

Maybe you have skeletons of your past hiding under your bed in your heart. He says that he wants those skeletons. He knows your past and if you ask him, he is gracious and will forgive you of the past mistakes. He just wants all of you. He does not want a skeleton to be in between you and the love he has for you. He does not condemn you. He offers you a new life, free from all the pain of the past. 

Maybe you have unforgiveness or even hatred hid away in the pantry of your heart. It could be hatred towards someone else or even towards yourself. He wants you to let go of that too. He knows what has happened. He was there and he understands the pain, the frustration and the hurt. He loves you and he wants you to live freely without the weight of hatred and unforgiveness holding you down. He has forgiveness us of all the mean things we have said and done to him. We did not even deserve it but he gives it so freely. He loves you more than you could ever know. 

Cleaning out of the heart is a constant process. Every time something new happens in life, there is a chance to get offended or hurt or hold onto grudges. That is why I am always asking Jesus to come in and clean out whatever needs to be burned up inside of my heart. It is a constant work but I want my heart to be found pleasing to God when he decides it is time for me to come home. 

Whatever you decide to clean out this year, I wish you the best. I pray that you have a great new year. I look forward to sharing more fashion tips with you in the future.