Is it finally feeling like fall where you live? Here, we had fall-ish weather for a week, and now its back to the 90s again. But since it is October, it’s time to think about transitioning from summer to fall/winter. I love this time of year, because its like a fresh start 3/4 of the year through. When it’s time to switch out the wardrobes from summer to winter, even if we’re pulling out the “same old clothes from the past 5 years,” they’re “fresh” in a way, because they’ve not been worn all summer.
I’m getting ready to do this – just as soon as we return to Nashville to get our things (which will be later in the week… Yeah!!!) Our house in Cleveland will be painted and ready for us to move into by Wednesday, and we’ll head to Nashville to actually “move” over the weekend. I’ll be so glad when I can share some pictures with you. (Nashville house is still on the market. We lowered the price again just the other day… please continue to pray for its sale!)
Until I get the internet back up and running, I’m reposting some of my favorite things to share during this time of year – and the one about God as our fashion designer/hair stylest is my all-time-best!
There is ONE important key in staying stylish and current in the culture we Christian women live in… PRAYER!
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.) It took about 30 minutes to wash and blow it dry each day, and I couldn’t communicate with anyone during that time, so 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 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 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 draw me into many deep conversations with strangers that become all about Him and His care of our lives. Often those strangers and I have ended up crying together and 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. Listen… I truly believe that whatever is on our minds, we need to invite Him 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 fall fashion on a portion of my brain. If you do too, here’s how the Lord helps me dress and stay “current”:
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.
2. I check the internet fashion websites to see what was on the runway for the season. Here is a summary of 10 fall fashion trends for 2010. (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.
While I’m doing this, 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. Everyday (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.
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.
Matthew 6:24-34 sums up what I’ve taken way too many paragraphs to say. No matter how big or little it seems, God can take care of it. Our job is to seek Him first, and all these other things will fall into place. Seeking Him first – even for our fall wardrobes – takes all of the worry out of it. We can trust Him to dress us in the way where He receives the glory – and we’ll be current and beautiful like the lilies.
(24) “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money. (25) Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? (26) Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? (27) Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
(28) And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. (29) Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. (30) If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
(31) So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ (32) For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. (33) But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. (34) Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
Question: Do you ask the Lord to help you do things like this? Does He help you dress, shop, cook, drive, park, etc? If so, please leave a comment and let’s celebrate how God helps us in the details of daily life.
If you’ve never thought that God cared about these things before, or you never wanted to “bother” Him with the little stuff, I challange you to try it. You’re not bothering Him. Ask Him to help you in the little things, and you’ll see Him being involved in your life in a big way! (Then, please come back and tell us about it! 🙂 )
Much love to you beautiful and fashionable lilies~
Jennifer
Well, you DO have great hair! I struggled this morning with my lack therein… I wore my wig for the first time. Talk about being brave… it took me a good 20 minutes to get it on right and then to shape it therein. I was so self-conscious, but everyone told me it looked natural and great. Haven't decided how much I'll wear it in these next few months, but am glad to have it as an option.
As for my clothing… oh dear; I've had a shift there as well. My body has changed dramatically, and it's almost too much for me to try and figure out what to do with myself. I was in Stein Mart yesterday and wanted to cry about it all. I love to look good… it's just going to take some time for me to work my way through it.
All that being said, I am careful to dress myself with Christ everyday, knowing that my outward appearance dims in comparison to what matters to him.
You are a beautiful woman, inside and out, and I appreciate your care and concern for me.
Cleveland? As in Ohio? If so, better get buckled up for cold weather, friend. I lived near there for several years.
peace~elaine
Loved this information – so practical. So thrilled that you will be moving in soon…can't wait to hear all about it and see some pictures. Praying for the sale of your Tenn home. Thanks for reposting.
PS – I, too, LOVE your hair!!:)
I never thought of it in quite that detail, though I have asked God to guide/help us in many 'small' things, I really never thought of clothing and hair. Thank you for sharing this I will keep it in mind.
One thing though, a small thing, that my husband and I always ask God for is parking spot. With two small children, we always appreciate a spot close to where ever we are going and anytime we pray to ask God for a good parking spot, He ALWAYS delivers. We serve a most amazing Lord!
Praying for your house to sell very soon, and this has become one of my favorite passages in scripture. We had several job losses, and this was very true for us. Isn't God good! Jackie
Love it! Some how I had missed this the first time you wrote it. I am so blessed that I can catch you on a more regular basis. Saying a prayer for your move and the selling of your house!
Love it! It was over ten years ago that I started back to church again after using the excuse "I don't have anything to wear." The Lord placed a yard sale before my eyes with tons of new dresses for almost nothing. Is He awesome or WHAT?!
I put away my summer wardrobe and brought out my fall/winter wardrobe. Now saying that it sounds as if I am loaded w/ fashionable clothes, but in truth I think my husband has a larger wardrobe than I! Ha! I too, love pulling out old favorites, combining them with new items I find. I will comb sales racks too and ask the Lord to guide my purchases. I tend to like my winter clothes more than summer. They are cozy, comfy and just plain feel good. I LOVE the outfit in the pic you've included in this post… i could totally see myself wearing that one! I too am going to ask God to dress me… to help me w/ my hair. It's about giving Him glory, not myself!
I love how you share this and am going to share your words w/ my nieces etc.
I love this!! I pray before I get dressed too and prayed my whole way cleaning out my closet last week. If I don't I get way too focused on the outside. you've shared this beautifully =)
I've read this here before and it's still oh so very current!