Dressed to Impress…or
Eternal Success?
12 Therefore, as God’s chosen
people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
Thank you for joining me for Wednesday’s Word & Coffee
Hour @ Chicklit Power and Trench Classes United. Summer is in full swing, huh?!
It was a workday and I stood in my closet in Yucaipa,
California trying to anticipate what the weather would be like later on in Los
Angeles. Hmmm, I wondered aloud, what to wear? I was trying to focus on the
task at hand, but my head was wrapped around a new discovery: someone who I
thought was a friend had un-friended me on Facebook and I was just a bit
irritated! J I
don’t want to give the enemy any more credit, so I won’t elaborate on this, but
I am certain that you understand the feeling of rejection followed by
frustration when this type of thing happens on social media. What a way to go
into your day, huh? And yet, there is the fact that everyone is given freedom
of choice, and we are not His puppets on a piece of string dangling from
heaven. Oh, sometimes don’t you wish others were? J
As my hands ran through the hangers of clothes, my mind was
racing, and yet there was a smile on my face because that earlier discovery of
rejection did not overtake me, nor did I give in to the temptation to message
that person to ask what the heck or defend myself. Instead, I actually put her
first on my prayer list for the day. J
Oh, back to the “what-to-wear” dilemma!
I was preparing for an all-day video deposition, so I knew
I’d need to not only feel comfortable but confident. Video depositions are
quite a bit more challenging because you have to get every “okay,” every
“hmmm,” every false start, and every sound, which can be challenging to write,
let alone spell on our little court reporting machine. J J
My eyes skimmed over a couple of skirts, and I pulled a
couple of sleeveless blouses off the hangers to see how they would look, and then
a colorful sweater to finish each of the outfits off. I put my first choice
on…and didn’t like it at all! Then I put the second choice on, and it just
didn’t do anything for me. “Ugh, is it going to be one of those days?” I
groaned aloud.
I hung them all back up and went back into my closet and
gave one more glance at my skirts. I saw my pleated navy blue with off-white
polka dots, quickly picked out a crème colored lacey top, and grabbed a navy
blue sweater off its hanger and determined to like it. Wisdom has taught me to
give more attention to how I am dressed internally than externally, and I can
really work myself in a tailspin if I spend too much time in my closet.
My thoughts returned to the day ahead. As I get older, I’ve
noticed that there are times that it takes a lot more energy to remain patient
with attorneys and witnesses. You would think that with almost 27 years of experience
that wouldn’t be the case, but then again, it’s just more opportunity for me to
rely on Him, and invite Him into the deposition with me.
I quickly did my makeup, and hair, and then put on the
outfit I had chosen, grabbed my blue strappy pumps and headed downstairs with the
words of wisdom in Colossians 3:12 echoing
in the hallways of my heart and I am grateful for the reminder that while I may
need to feel confident and comfortable in my earthly outfit, I truly need to
dress for eternal success more than I need to dress to impress.
I can be confident not because of what I wear externally,
but because HIS word says I am dearly loved and I had spent the time I needed
with Him that morning to be reminded of just that! Living like I am “dearly
loved” will clothe me with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and
patience, even for those fast-talking witnesses and attorneys who sometimes
cause me to want to throw my computer and run away. Something tells me that if
I turn my focus on my eternal outfit, my external outfit won’t matter so much!
I’m off for another day on the record!
Dressed for Eternal Success,
Evinda
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