I Am Not Fashion.... But He Cares About My Clothes!

I love shopping

Sales
Thrift shopping
Window shopping
Shopping with and for other people
Grocery shopping
Furniture shopping
Heck, I've learned to enjoy going tool Shopping with Trevor!

I think it's safe to say, that I am especially crazy about
Clothes Shopping!

When I was young, like I've mentioned before, we didn't have much money...... the same way that I would cut pictures out of magazines of bed sets, and beautiful furniture, I would cut out pictures of clothes.  I'd make pages and pages of wish list items.  Pour over fashion magazines and sears catalogs.
I didn't even mind that my wardrobe was almost 100% hand me downs from family friends and relatives..........
They were New clothes to me!!
And I felt like a million bucks wearing them!

I remember in Jr. High, I so badly wanted something.. anything brand name.  
My dad took us to the city on a Saturday.  I got my $20.00 for allowance...... Which even back in the day, didn't buy anything that could put me on the "Guess Jeans", "Umbro", or "Club Monaco" A-list at school.

We made our normal stop at the Sears Clearance Center, and to my utter delight, there was a sale on Nike T shirts!  I honestly thought I had won the jackpot!  I didn't even think twice that the only size left was a man's large....... Who cares.  It's Nike.  It's $5.00.
It's Sold!

Lol.... I wore that shirt every day, almost.  I walked taller.  It looked horrible (I think it would have been too big for my dad, even) but I thought I looked like a fashion diva.

Since then,  my style has changed.... evolved........ a little at least :) 

Surprisingly, I still only own a handful of brand name things (and then only for the quality of the product)  
As much as I love clothes, and I love to express myself through fashion, there are a lot of things more important to me that spending a fortune to sport a name.

I was just aimlessly reading the newest H&M Magazine for the upcoming "Trend Alert"
I saw this add, and it jumped off the page at me.

I am Fashion

It sounds so far out.  My first reaction would be to say " I know I'm not fashion"  

It's a loaded statement for me though, because I live in a world that has deluded me into thinking that I am fashion... and all that fashion entails.

The newest trends, the hair, the nails, the shoes, the body, the skin and makeup.

I'd love to say that I am SO beyond that.. but the truth is, I too,  look at the women that turns everyones heads and wonder where she got her bag, and what she eats for lunch.  The woman who seems to walk  with confidence and power.  Who looks so much more put together and everything that I'm not.

I love going to women's events at our church... and church itself.  I love noticing and affirming women who have made an effort to look beautiful. The outfits, jewelry,  noticing a color that looks great on someone..... I'm sure to be the one to let them know.   I'm also super eager and excited to receive the compliments and praise about my own new dress that I'll be sporting.

We live in an outward society.... and we've all hear this talked about before.  

I'm just saying it's hard because I don't know what the balance is.

To be in this world, but not a part of it.....

?

To be God's Daughter.  A daughter of the King.

To find myself and my beauty, my confidence from Him.

But

To still enjoy fashion, clothes, jewelry, makeup......

Being a Woman!

Man Alive... I am so Happy to be a Woman!

I love looking and feeling beautiful.

Even the Proverbs 31 Woman loved nice clothes

She makes her own clothing,
   and dresses in colorful linens and silks.

 Her clothing is of linen, pure and fine, and of purple [such as that of which the clothing of the priests and the hallowed cloths of the temple were made].

Song of Solomon talks about buying beautiful jewelry, for his lover.

When I was 18, I was interning at a church in Calgary in the youth ministry.  I had no money.  I felt so strongly (for a few weeks) that God was prompting me to give away my clothes to some of the girls in the youth group..... now you have to understand that my clothes were not just my clothes.. they had memories.. I had just spent the past year traveling around Canada.... I had accumulated a lot of really cool things.  My clothes were like an extension of me...... Maybe even at that point...... Me.

I tried to ignore His voice, but I could not shake this challenge that I felt.  

So, eventually, I did the scariest thing..... I packed up my precious clothing.... my very best, my identity in a lot of ways.... and I gave everything (except 2 outfits) to the youth.

I cried.  It was hard.  And even harder when I saw them all wearing my favorite things in the weeks to come.

I didn't tell a soul that I only had 2 outfits.

I had no money to buy anything new.

One day at church, a lady came up to me and said "God wants you to know that He cares about your clothes"  

She said a bunch of other stuff... but that's what stuck out to me because, I thought that God asking me to give away my clothes was Him punishing me and teaching me a lesson because I had let my clothes and my outward appearance become an idol in my life.  So I was willing to accept this punishment of only 2 outfits.

A few months later, I was getting ready to go back home for the summer to Manitoba after a year of interning in Calgary.  We had a BBQ games night with the youth.  At the end of the night, they called me up to the front and said that they had a surprise for me..... When I opened the envelope, there was $500.00 worth of gift certificates for a mall in Calgary.  I was so shocked and overwhelmed.  The youth had pooled their money to bless me.

It was so humbling.  

And you know what I bought.....

Clothes!

Brand Spanking New Clothes!

God wasn't mad at me or punishing me......

He had something better for me.

A couple of weeks ago, I told you I found $20.00 on the ground.  Walked into winners one day and saw a beautiful dress for $19.99!  

Love note from my father!

I am not fashion

I am God's Daughter

 But He cares about my clothes!