Fashioned With Love
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I have a strange habit of naming my dresses.
I refer to an elegant cobalt-blue dress with shimmering threads throughout as Big Blue. Another blue dress, shorter and with a halter-style bodice, is known as Little Blue. A dress I call Snowflake also resides in my closet, although I am more of a warm-weather lady. Then there is the Hot Mess dress that I added to my collection. Hot mess describes someone who is disorganized or something that is in disarray, especially when the result has a level of charm, like my homemade dress. I had purchased several yards of fabric splashed with bright pink-and-yellow circles with large bands of vivid blue. I decided to make a dress from this fabric and chose a pattern. Because I was sewing during shelter-in-place restrictions, I could not go to the store to buy lining fabric. Instead, I found remnants in my fabric stash—a turquoise piece and an olive-colored piece. Neither matched the dress’s fabric, but I pressed on.
Who would see the lining anyway? During a fitting, I realized the neckline was puckered. I resolved this mistake by adding elastic to the neckline to draw in the extra fabric. When I tried on the finished garment, I laughed. I had not matched the large circles at the seams, resulting in a collection of half circles. When I considered the flaws—the mismatched lining, the altered neckline, the misaligned circles—I called it a hot mess dress.
Sometimes I feel as if I am a hot mess. I have flaws.
At times, my words do not match my actions.
Some days I am bright and cheerful, but often I fail to reflect Christ’s character. Then God speaks to me, “I know you feel disheartened by mistakes. Follow Me. I will never fail you.” God formed man with His hands and breathed life into him.
He blessed humanity with diversity in appearance, thought, personality, and talents. We are unique, and He can use our flaws for His glory.
When you are tempted to focus on your mistakes and shortcomings, imagine our loving Father stopping you and speaking Zephaniah 3:17 into your experience.
Sister, you were fashioned by the Creator, and He delights in you.
Sherma Webbe Clarke
