I love this time of year when it’s time to change out the wardrobe. Because even if we’re pulling out the “same old clothes from the past 5 years,” they’re “fresh” since they’ve not been worn lately. Yes?
During these transition months from Summer to Fall and Winter to Spring, I always go through the same rituals. I’ve shared it on my blog before, but it bears repeating.
Though it may appear as trivial, I’ll freely admit that I enjoy the seasonal changes in clothing and color trends, and I really like to stay current and in style. I like pretty things. And the beautiful part of this admission is that I and know that God does too… for He is the original Creator of all things beautiful! So when it comes to fashion, over the years I’ve collected a phrase that I like to use when talking about how I like to dress: Hip and Holy.
Hip, as in “current” and stylish (since God has obviously not called me to be plain). And Holy, because in everything we are to strive be holy and honor the Lord, because He is holy. This means dressing in a way that is modest and that doesn’t damage one bit of my reputation or go against one word I’ve said about what I believe and how I live in Jesus. This also means that I dress for God’s glory and not for my own and especially not for the attention of the opposite sex.
In order to accomplish this Hip and Holy balance, I’ve found that PRAYER and involving God in every detail of your style is the key.
{If you are thinking that God doesn’t care about what we wear, or that He doesn’t have time to bother with what’s in style for 2014… I would beg to differ with you. God is absolutely big enough to be present and active in the midst of every single crisis and need at the same time that you are standing in front of your closet deciding what to wear. He is! HE HAS NO LIMITS. And though a “wardrobe crisis” is nothing compared to a “real crisis” or need, it is still something… and all of our somethings honor God when they are brought to the Lord for His direction and intervention. He is all about His glory in and through our lives, in and through every detail. And that includes everything that matters to us.
Whatever it is… So if it matters to you, it matters to God, no matter how trivial you feel in bringing it to Him. So… if staying in style, yet honoring the Lord in every bit of your life matters to you… it matters to God… so let Him have it!}
Here’s how I stumbled upon this amazing fashion secret:
Years ago, when I was in the 6th grade, I had one of those “luminescent moments” and realized that since God made my hair, and kept count of the numbers of hairs on my head (Matthew 10:30), He could help me fix it every day. (I’m thankful for it now, but I have difficult hair – curly, thick, coarse, and especially back then, totally big – and now wiry grey underneath the color.) It took about 30 minutes to wash and blow it dry each day, and since I couldn’t communicate with anyone during that time, I started spending that time talking to the Lord. One day I asked Him if He would help me fix my hair… and He did! I started having “good hair days” on a frequent basis.
By the time I got in the 7th grade, I promised the Lord that if He would fix my hair, I’d give Him the glory for it. He has kept His end of the bargain, and I’ve tried to keep mine. For all of these years, God has helped me fix my hair each morning – in giving me ideas, or by just plain making it move and stay a certain way. I get hair compliments from strangers almost every time I go out of the house. They’ll say something like “I love your hair… who does it?” and I’ll say something like “Thank you so much. Actually, Kellye (and now Freeda) cuts and colors it and God helps me fix it every day.”
That usually gets one of three responses – Sometimes they get it – and we rejoice in how wonderful the Lord is that He cares about us – to the tiniest detail, OR, they look at me with this glazed expression and say “how nice” and walk away. OR they look puzzled and want to know more. I then get to tell them about how God cares about the things that we care about, because He loves us so much. I can promise them that God is big enough to take care of the major needs of the world and still keep count of the number of hairs on each of our heads, and that there is nothing too small to bring to Him.
God has used my hair to ignite many deep conversations with strangers that start with a surface hair question and end up becoming all about Him and His care of our lives. Often those strangers and I have ended up bowing our heads in the middle of grocery store aisles while they lay burdens before the Lord. God can use anything, can’t He??? PTL!
SO, when I realized that the Lord was doing such a great job of fixing my hair, I started asking Him to dress me, too.
I truly believe that whatever is on our minds, we need to invite God to be a part of it, and let Him help guide us as we mentally process whatever it is. For me and this time of year, I’ve got Spring fashion on a portion of my brain. If you do too, here’s how the Lord helps me dress and stay Hip and Holy:
How to stay Hip and Holy:
1. I look through fashion magazines in waiting rooms, the library, or wherever I find them, and try to get a feel for the common denominators in the clothing and accessories trends. When I see something repeated often, I assume it is a coming trend. For example, when I originally wrote this post in the Spring of 2014, these are some of the trends I saw.
Within the first 10 pages of the magazine, I noticed that large accessories were prevalent. These have been around for a few seasons, but will be “normal” everywhere this Spring. Yay, by the way, for big hair and big jewelry again! The eighties have returned in all of it’s glory! 😉
Lots of nautical stripes and colors are in right now. I love this!
Florals = everywhere and on everything! Think Laura Ashley on steroids.
Sadly, the jump suit is seeking a come-back. Seriously?
2. I check the internet fashion websites to see what was on the runway for the season. Here is a summary of Spring 2014 Fashion Trends from Elle, and these are from Glamour. (I’m not endorsing anything you happen to see while you’re there… Just letting you know a few of the fashion trends.) 😉
3. Realizing that what is in the magazines and on the runways is not what will look “normal” in my middle-class-suburban-stay-at-home-wife-mom-Bible-teacher-life, I classify the trends in categories of clothing I would actually wear.
Now, while I’m looking through the current trends, I’m doing it with the Lord, often talking through these things out-loud to Him, as if He’s sitting with me (which actually… He is right there with me).
4. Then WE (He and I) go through my clothes for the new season. He totally does this with me. We pull out the clothes and I try them on.
5. Remembering the trend categories, I’ll pray for wisdom to make “new” outfits out of old clothes. I don’t audibly hear this, but the Lord will put ideas in my mind, and I’ll try them on, with shoes and accessories.
6. Usually, I’ll “need” a few pieces to update my wardrobe from the previous year. I’ll write down what I need in my prayer journal on a page called “Requests and Wish Lists”. Then I let it go. I give it to the Lord, and ask Him to provide those pieces of clothing / shoes / accessories IF He will be glorified through them. Sometimes I feel led to write a price beside the item. It’s so much fun to see the Lord provide in such specific ways. Sometimes He’ll provide what I’ve asked for, and sometimes He doesn’t. When He doesn’t provide, I find that I really didn’t need it anyway.
7. I don’t go out and spend lots of money on clothing. I give the needs to the Lord, and then I wait to see how He leads me to find the items I need. Often, I can pick something up at Target or Wal Mart, or Ross’ or Khols on sale or clearance. One piece at a time, the Lord builds my “current” wardrobe. Sometimes I’ll be drawn to go to Goodwill and look around. When I obey and go when the Lord leads me to, I find just what was on the list. Occasionally someone will share their “hand-me-overs” with me, and something I’ve prayed for will be among those clothes. Our God is creative with His provisions!
8. Every day (or night), I stand at my closet and ask the Lord to help me know what to wear. He guides my eyes and hands and helps me choose the outfit de jour.
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I may not look “perfect” to everyone else, but when the Lord has helped me dress and fix my hair, the responsibility for how I look is up to Him, and I don’t have to worry over it anymore. I can leave my house knowing that He has dressed me spiritually (in my quiet time with Him), and physically.
After I get ready with His help, having done the best I can with what I’ve been given, I say Psalm 90:17 to the Lord: Let Your beauty be upon me, and establish the work of my hands. I’m then free to go about my day, confident of His handiwork in and upon my life:
Hip and Holy, for the glory of the Lord. 🙂
