Advent Challenge: Seven Creative Ways to Give Back This Christmas

My friend and colleague, Marcus Goodyear, has written a fine piece called “Advent Challenge: Seven Creative Ways to Give Back This Christmas.” He acknowledges the source of these seven creative ways: social entrepreneur Jeff Shinabarger

The High Calling first met Jeff several years ago through Jubilee when Jeff was first launching GiftCardGiver.com and we hosted our own High Calling gift card party. Now, Jeff is letting us share seven creative ideas adapted from his upcoming book, More or Less: Choosing a Lifestyle of Excessive Generosity (coming March 2013). We hope they will encourage you to a deeper generosity this Christmas season.

Here’s one of the seven ways:

3.    Count Your Clothes.

Go through your closet and drawers and pull out every piece of clothing you own. Count every piece. How many days could you go without wearing the same thing twice? Decide what is enough for each category of clothing, and pare down. Before going to donate the clothes, look in your closet and choose one piece you love, and give that also. Don’t give only your old but give your favorite, and you will begin to change your perspective toward clothing and live with a renewed hope through generosity.

Actually, this is something I have practiced for many years. It always amazes me how many pieces of clothing I have and how many of those pieces I almost never wear. Yes, sometimes I have even given away shirts that have been given to me that I have never worn. I still have plenty of clothes, but am glad to be able to share what I have with others. (Okay, okay. I’ll admit that sometimes I give away clothing that, for some reason, just doesn’t seem to fit me anymore. Sigh. I hate having to acknowledge the changing dimensions of my body.)

For the other six of the ways, be sure to read Marcus Goodyear’s post on The High Calling: “Advent Challenge: Seven Creative Ways to Give Back This Christmas.”