Day 7 - Cothes Don't Make the Man or Woman

I'm one day late on this post because of several unexpected circumstances including my daughter Hannah's undetected ear infection that resulted in a ruptured ear drum yesterday evening.  This additional time has given me an opportunity to really reflect on what I've learned from wearing seven (for me 8) pieces of clothing for 7 days.

At first I thought it would be really hard professionally.  In my work as an educator I have set an expectation for myself for dressing professionally which for me, usually includes a dress, skirt and top, or dress pants.  Knowing that I would be picking out 7 items that would have to do double duty for weekend beach trip as well as professional presenting and teaching at the Spartanburg Writing Project I was worried.

Would people notice if I wore the same dress twice?

Would wearing more casual sundresses and sleeveless, shorter dresses work for church and for work and be comfortable in high heat weather at the beach?

What would people think about me?

Would I be viewed as less professional?

Would judgement be questioned?

After seven days I've realized that clothes do not make the man.  It really didn't matter.  People did not question me and if they did, I didn't know.  After leaving the anxiety behind in the closet I was too worried about the current demands of each part of the day to even think about or remember what I had on.  This matches what scripture tells us.

Matthew 6:25-34New International Version (NIV)

Do Not Worry

25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life[a]?

28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Sincerely,

Dawn