I know I'm blogging about what every christian blogger blogs about all the time in all the blogs but why not? I don't write this out of exasperation or fed-up-ness or offense. I am not surrounded by scantly clad women who need a turtle neck offered to them and need to be scurried into the church bathroom for a sound rebuking. On the contrary, my peers are lovely women and girls who have the Central Valley casual ambiance of jeans and Old Navy sales rack tops that speak of coffee-loving, Phil Whickam-song-guitar playing, and afternoons at yard sales kind of look. I feel super duper blessed to live in such a casual town because frankly...I'd rather rascal with a moose than go clothes shopping to keep up with the styles. Since I go to jean church and have jean friends and have a jean husband the pressure of looking like a hottie is far from my mind.
But since you asked I guess I'll share.
I really am scared stiff to end up at church looking too hot. Is that vain? Is it so much the opposite of vain that it goes full circle and becomes vain? Regardless, I have shared many conversations with close friends and now my growing daughter on what is and what is not appropriate to wear to church. It seemed a lot simpler when I was single. I was not claimed therefore I must be quaint and quiet and covered. I figured that when I got married I could wear whatever I darn well pleased since I belonged to someone. Of course my husband very kindly told me that that was utter nonsense and thenceforth have come to very much trust his man's view on things since he is...well...a man. So here's the question...
How do you judge what is modest and immodest for a christian woman to wear? Especially to church?
You know what? Now that I'm an old lady and have spent so many years being around Christians and watching Christians and listening to Christians debate over our christian liberties and what we should do and not do and wear and not wear and listen to and not listen to I have come to this all purpose conclusion....
Hold on a second...it has two parts...let me see if I can make the words rhyme...no they can't rhyme this time.
Dress in Context.
If I'm going to the beach, I'm going to wear my swim suit of course. If I'm going to the gym, I'm going to wear my tight stretchy pants because I'm going to do tight stretchy stuff of course. If I'm going on a missionary trip and they tell me in this culture the women only wear long skirts then I'm only going to wear long skirts. If I'm going to Cambria on a honeymoon with my husband and he says, "Hey sugar muffin, you want to go out tonight?" I'm going to put on my black strappy dress and say, "Why Richard, I'm so glad you asked!" If I'm going to church (remember I go to jean church) I'm going to more than likely put on jeans and maybe sometimes get fancy and wear a "church dress" which is what I tell my daughter to put on. See what I'm saying? You dress out of context and you might end up at church looking like a hot date and don't you think that might be kind of distracting?
Dress with wisdom
If you decide to dress out of context and end up with too much bear skin at the wrong place and the wrong time surrounded by people that you have caused to be completed distracted from the word of God then that is anything but wise. The loving thing is always the better choice. When I think, "It is my womanly human right to look hot" I have absolutely stopped loving others and I am now completely loving myself.
Heaven forbid you try to copy my fabulous style! I am a horrible example of stylish meets modesty. My style is called LAZY meets LAZY. I'm going to start a new line of clothes called "Don't Care AS Long As I Don't Have To Iron It". It will be a drive through clothes store where you can choose the color, the size, and the style without ever getting out of the car and unbuckling and buckling your kids and saying "get out of the clothes rack" or "why don't they have these cute shorts in an after four kids size" and "boys I asked you not to play hide-and-seek in the clothes rack" and "Anna, is that Ben in the cloths rack?" And whatever happened to going to the tailor for clothes! When they could professionally accommodate every extra lump that God hath given you and the color that suits your eyes and your favorite cut of skirt?! I do plan on getting better one of these days. In other words, if you want to pay for my closet makeover I won't say no.
All sarcastic Rees/Cook humor aside, I am SO thankful for the modest women that surround me that are always dressing in context and with great womanly wisdom. And would you just look at yourselves! You are all just gorgeous!
Do the loving thing...it is so much better than insisting on looking hot! Amen?
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