(First of all, I just want to say I never thought I'd type a title like that. Very rarely do I make myself giggle, but I did just now. >.< )
I don't wear pants! I wear skirts! I wear dresses! I wear culottes! As of three days ago, I wore pajama pants to bed, but even those are out! And the reason I threw pants out of my wardrobe is God doesn't want women to wear pants!
I had to shout it. I had to let the world know. My eleven-year-old cousin asked me a few weeks ago, "Sissy, why are you wearing a skirt? It's like three degrees out here!" I told her that I don't wear pants anymore, and then she asked the obvious next question, "Why?"
I had my opportunity to share with her a little bit about God and about Jesus, and instead of being excited like I should have been, for some reason I felt embarassed. "Because, now be quiet." What kind of answer is that? I felt so ashamed of myself later that I cried to God, asking for Him to forgive me and give me the opportunity to redeem myself, or at least try. And now my story.
Mrs.Kristy is my pastor's wife. I love her to death. I'm ashamed to say it wasn't always that way. When I first met Mrs.Kristy, God and I weren't getting along. At all. My heart was so against God and everything He stood for that when I met Mrs.Kristy I couldn't stand her because she LOVES God and EVERYTHING He stands for. She was a walking, talking, living, breathing Bible for me, and I couldn't stand it. When I noticed she only wore skirts, I was afraid she'd ask me to do the same. I whipped out my Bible to do some research, hoping to figure out ways to counter her skirt-attack.
Then I realized that I didn't really know how to use my Bible, so I just did my Bible reading Pastor had given at Learning Environments. I read Deuteronomy 21 and 22, and came across an interesting verse, one I'm sure you've heard at least reference to. "The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman's garment: for all that do so are abomination unto the LORD thy God." I'd found Deuteronomy 22:5. I took note of the passage and thought to myself, "Well, I found these jeans in the women's section, so I'm fine."
A few days later I found a verse related to modesty, and I can't for the life of me find where I wrote it down in my notes. It was then that I decided that I wouldn't wear my jeans. They were extremely tight, and not at all modest. But my sweatpants? Come on. There was nothing immodest about them. So, I wore them.
It wasn't long after that Pastor invited my boyfriend Joshua and I to visit his family in Illinois. So, we packed up and went. I don't remember if it was the ride there or the ride back when Mrs.Kristy drove, but whichever it was, I was stuck up front with her. She'd started to grow on me, but there was still the skirt thing. Did I have to wear them all the time? Really? I asked her about skirts, and we talked for a while, and what I got out of it was this: Women are supposed to be modest. We're not supposed to draw attention to our body that will cause others to sin.
I could totally pull that off in sweatpants. Sweatpants aren't going to give anyone unsavory thoughts. But then they did. I noticed that people, well guys, were still looking at me. I went home from the store, after being looked at once again, and prayed. I asked God to forgive me because I realized that I'd done wrong. You really can't be modest in pants. Really. Not even the sweatpants. Women are full of curves, which aren't wrong to have, but are wrong to show off to others. Pants are going to show off your body in a way that a skirt never will. You can't see every detail of a woman's body with a skirt, but pants are made to hug the body, even the sweat pants or "loose-fitting" pants. Dressing immodestly is going to cause someone else to sin. I didn't want that. I wanted to be closer to God and realized that even the sweatpants had to go.
So, the pants are gone, the skirts and dresses are in, and I love my pastor's wife. She's an amazing lady who, thank God, didn't give up on me and my hateful attitude. And God and I continue to grow closer, too. Thank you, God, for not giving up on me and my hateful attitude, my sinful tendencies, and my efforts that will always fall short. Thank you, God, for Jesus, for Your Word that I can enjoy and learn from, and for Your love.
Pants: 0
God: All
4 comments:
My giving up pants story is very similar. I vaguely remember my youth pastor's wife mentioning we shouldn't wear things that show off our body. So, I started wearing baggy jeans. (This was back when you could still find baggy jeans for girls. Yeah, I know. ages ago. 2002ish) I did however know they had the rule about not wearing anything above your knee, so I stuck to that.
In an odd turn of events, my friend asked me where the Bible said we couldn't show above our knees, so she could show it to her mom, in hopes her mom would stop bugging her about not wearing shorts. So, I set out to ask my youth pastor's wife. She went on to give me all these verses about not wearing pants. I was floored. I didn't want to know that. Seriously. So, I smiled, nodded, and left the subject alone.
Fast forward about a year. (April of my 8th grade year) God had been convicting me more and more. I stopped wearing pants to church, but that was about it. Then a guest preacher was preaching on last chances. How, God will convict you about something, but the more you ignore Him, the quieter His voice gets. Until, you can't even hear Him anymore. The idea of that, all over my stubbornness to give up pants, got me. So, I gave up pants. Mostly.
I was still looking for any opportunity to wear them. P.E. class, sleeping, skiing, skating, ect. I didn't fully surrender the whole P.E. class issue until my sophomore year, and PJs shortly thereafter.
Going to public school it can be hard to stand, but it is important. The skirt thing will get you MANY questions, and you normally won't have the time to fully explain yourself. (I used to ask people if they wanted the short or long version of why. =P) It is a good way to get people talking. Once they know about one 'weird' thing you believe, they will ask about more. =)
This is a big step, keep on going. =) Praying for you.
I am so proud of you! God will bless your decision.
(Btw-Pastor Mike and Mrs.Kristy love you so much and are so proud of you. :) They talk about ya'all all the time! =))
Miss Naomi :)
First of all:
Yay!!!!!!!!!!!!! For getting your computer fixed!!!!!
Second of all:
I'm so glad that we're back home. I love spending time with family but there is no place like HOME.:] I missed my Church Family something awful. I'm going to be blogging about it tomorrow (hopefully).
Thirdly:
The thing that I love most about your story is that it is all about being pleasing to God. The Key to Fulfilling Happiness! It brings such joy to my heart. Not very many ladies are out to please God anymore, but more themselves and\or husbands. I've heard so many excuses about pants being baggy and are cut differently for women and "Mrs. Kristy it is a skirt (but when she bends over you can see clear up her backside), oh... and my personal favorite excuse is, "Some missionaries wear the "same" traditional clothing to reach their people, what is so different about us doing the same thing here"? Not once in a conversation did they say they were doing or wearing this or not to PLEASE the Lord. It's when we come to the place where we give all our garments over to God and say, "I want to please you and no one else", that he will give us the Modesty answers that we seek. Keep pleasing the Lord, not only just by what your wearing Brittany, but in every area of being a Modest Lady of God and you will reap "the harvest" as RUTH did, if you faint not!
BTW: This Thursday, 2 pm, continuation of Ruth and Scheduling! YAY!
And Lastly:
Learn to LOVE people where they are. Learn to LOVE people but hate the sin. Learn to LOVE the things of God but hate the Sin in your own life.
Remember God is Love, so Love people and yourself with God and let HIM do the rest.
This is Blair! I ma so excited that you have a blog!
Reading your story was awesome. Go girl.
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