Easter dress

Do you ever have those times when you're shopping in certain stores and you just feel out of place. I'm pretty much a Target, Kohls, Old Navy kind of girl and I just feel a little out of place when I'm at nice stores. I feel like they're looking at me like "what are you doing here." Anyway, all that to say, when Chris and I were in Clearwater I was having one of those days where I wasn't feeling overly confident about myself and I just kinda felt a little out place. We were shopping at all the little beach shops by our hotel and it wasn't that they were upscale by any means but I just didn't feel I fit in with the culture. Get what I mean?

So, we were at a surf store and Chris and I had been looking around and we walk to the back. Apparently one of the female workers thought I have left and started talking about what I was wearing. "Did you see that girls dress! It looked like an Easter basket with pastel pink and blue stripes."

OK--so I know I'm not totally hip with all the styles, but if I'm honest I think I dress fairly well... like a 30 year old...not like a 16 year old beach shop girl. Anyway, I was CRUSHED! I just couldn't believe that someone would be so mean. Plus, I was so embarrassed and I still had to walk out of the shop for all her co workers to see.

Chris and I walked down to another store and I grabbed his hand and started BAWLING! Now I actually find it kind of funny but at the time it was NOT! Thankfully Chris just held me and told me that he loved me. Then he said "I hope this doesn't mean that you'll never wear that dress again." You know what? There was a time not that long ago where I probably would have thrown that dress away and NEVER worn it again! But not now. It's not that peoples words don't hurt me anymore, they obviously still do. But what I remembered that day was what CHRIST says about me. I don't have to live for the approval of others because I already have the approval of the ONE who matters. Not my husbands approval (although he does love me), but CHRIST'S approval.

HE says I'm beautiful!

Zeph 3:17
"The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take GREAT DELIGHT in you, he will quiet you with his LOVE, he will REJOICE over you with singing!"

Ephesians 2:10a
"For you are God's WORKMANSHIP"

Psalm 139:14
"I praise you because I am FEARFULLY and WONDERFULLY made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well."

And the other cool part of that story is that the day I got back to Orlando to see my sweet Hannah I told her all about the Easter dress. I told her that even mommy's get made fun of and it really hurts, I don't think that part will ever go away. It's what we do with those feelings of worthlessness and rejection and comparing ourselves to others. We have to take it to Christ and remember that he created us and he LOVES us just the way we are!

And, because I know you all are just DIEING to see the dress, here I am in all my Easter basket glory!