Thanking God for Fond Memories

I smiled as I thought about the many ways I used to play dress-up. As a child, I played dress-up with dolls, stick objects, and even with myself; I enjoyed playing dress-up! It was one of the highlights of my childhood. With my dolls, I would regularly change their outfits and pretend to be a variety of exciting, gorgeous characters. With my stick objects, I would attach pieces of my mom’s old wig hairs and pretend the stick objects were the most clamorous ladies in the world, with their long hair swinging back and forth round and about.

Sometimes to make my dress-up more fun, I sneaked into my mom’s bedroom when she went on errands. I quickly make my way over to her dresser, closet, and then finally to her shoe box. Oh, what fun I had! I would make up my face, applying her lipstick just so. Next, I would skip to the closet to locate the right outfit that would compliment my new made up face. Afterwards, I would reach up to the shelf in the closet to get the most biggest and loveliest hat to strut my stuff! Since one of my favorite colors were purple, that’s the one I usually picked. Then I would think, ‘what shoes must I wear with this new me?’ I always chose the shoes with the brightest of color, and the highest of heels (though I could barely walk in them). Wow, what fun memories I had pretending and dressing up!

Although I’m a big girl now, at times I still like dressing up. However, I don’t sneak into my mom’s closet anymore, nor do I pretend with toys. I am thankful as a blessed woman of God, I can buy my own lipstick. My clothes and my shoes fit. I have a lot of fun, getting my own hair done.

Yes, dressing up on the outside can be a beautiful thing. But as I began to grow in the knowledge and faith of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, I discovered I could “look my best” by first dressing up His way. So can you. He has a wardrobe already prepared that guarantees one size fits not most, but “all.”

His way of dressing consists of putting off our old self, which belongs to our former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires. He wants us to be renewed in the spirit of our mind, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

I have come to realized dressing up from the inside out, is really what looking good, or dressing up, is all about. Be encouraged, before getting dressed physically, first  go to your own spiritual prayer closet and put on the outfit Jesus has designed for you. He is the Master Tailor. Get dressed up with His compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience; and above all, His  love. Wearing His clothes is a great way to stay dressed up all day.

“Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience,  Colossians 3:12 (ESV)

“And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.  Colossians 3:14-15  (ESV)

In God, I will keep on thanking.  By Hertistine Washington