One of Those Days...

Ever have one of those days where you get inspired by something random and one thing leads to another, and before you know it you've spent the rest of your night thinking about it? Today was one of those days for me. I was flipping through a magazine at my grandmother's house, and I came across an article about women whose dress is inspired by their faith. There was a Catholic nun, a Hindi woman, an Orthodox Jewish woman, a Muslim woman, and a fundamental Christian woman. Now, while I completely respect women who wear only ankle length skirts out of modesty, I just can't see myself doing that anytime soon.  What really inspired me about these women is the initiative that they took to set themselves apart for their faith. Not only were they practicing obedience, they were also sending a message to the world by something as simple as their dress.
When I got home, I went to a website that I always look to for wisdom and encouragement. Leslie Ludy, (author of When God Writes Your Love Story, Authentic Beauty, Set Apart Femininity, Wrestling Prayer, and a ton of other amazing books), has a website and online magazine at www.setapartgirl.com . Interestingly enough, in the Jan./Feb. issue, Leslie included an article called "Dressing with Selfless Style." She said something that seemed pretty accurate to me. "I have found that most modern girls either dress seductively or like slobs." As I sit here wearing an old t-shirt and tattered jeans, I'm going to admit that I all too often play the part of the slob. At first I thought, "Does God really care if I act like everyday is a casual Friday? Okay...a reallllyyyy casual Friday?" But as a kept reading, I realized that my dress might actually affect more than I thought.
Leslie said, "There is a big difference in how I feel on days when I've dressed hurriedly in sweats than on days when I put effort into my appearance.  When I am dressed sloppily, I am more prone to feel sloppy, lethargic, and unmotivated as I go about my daily tasks. But when I'm dressed with dignity, it brings value to the things I'm working on. It reminds me 'This task is important. It is deserving of my best attention and focus.'"  Wow. That's got me down to a tee. So many times I come home from school and exchange my professional clothes for sweats and then plop right down on the couch for some mindless tv and probably a nap. Might things be a little different if I created a peaceful workspace in my room and dressed with dignity more often? Now, I'm not saying that everyone needs to dress up everyday. That's just not practical. But, I know that this is something I need to explore.
So, that's my challenge for this week. Dressing with selfless style. Anyone wanna join me?