I remember when we were expecting our last baby. My sweet husband would see a teenage girl out and about in what seemed like little to no clothing and would always repeat, "please don't be a girl. please don't be a girl." Then when he found out we were having a girl in the same situation he would just seem defeated, as he repeatedly asked God for her to be modest. I love that his prayers were answered.
Our little Sofia was getting ready for her first swim lesson only to realize the suit she loved which she wore during the summer, didn't fit the same as it did this summer. The suit was large then and while it was a two piece, it fit more like a tankini. Well, that has changed since she has grown into it more. The top is now a traditional two piece top, and she didn't like it one bit. My sweet little girl came inches from throwing a fit as she tried her best to pull the bottom of the top down to her waist. "Mommy, I not do this," she said. When I explained to her that this particular swimsuit was not made to cover her belly, you would have thought I told her her clothing was on fire. She couldn't get it off fast enough. As she tore off her clothing, I felt I had to intervene to protect her from herself. I told her I had the perfect solution and took her to her room to show her that we could use her swim shirt with another pair of bottoms (just cause they match it better). Once we put them on her response was golden, "That MUCH better. I not show my belly."
I even had a friend color clothing on a model from my Shape magazine the other day. I believe this is a perfect time to talk about this. You look around and see skin everywhere. I decided to look at popular magazines and wasn't very surprised to find that 90 percent of those I looked at the women on the cover showed at least cleavage, at most she was barely covered or wearing lace that showed everything.
The Bible tells us in 1 Peter 5:5-6 "Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for 'God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.' Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you"
The part in this verse I would like to point out is the "clothe yourselves, all of you." God wants us to be modest. God wants us to protect our children, more specifically our daughters. I want my princess to grow up being proud of herself and liking the person she has become. You teach people how to treat you and determine the type of people that will surround you by your actions and your appearance. That is a lesson that I don't believe is being taught to our children often enough. I have written down this memory of Sofia because I want to share with her when she is older, what she already knew without Mom or Dad having to tell her. I want her to have a sense of pride about how she presents herself to others. I want her to enjoy the respect she gets from that and to attract those who are like-minded, with the same beliefs and ultimately a healthy romantic relationship in the future (LONG AWAY FUTURE ;-)
Out of the mouth of babes, I share this lesson that modesty truly is beautiful.
No comments:
Post a Comment