Dress your Best

"I think I am finally done. That was the last stitch!" I proudly exclaimed as I held the dress up in front of me. The little bow on the front was the perfect final touch.

"Now it is time to try it on," my friend said.

After some slight difficulty in getting the zipper to zip all the way, I slipped on the homemade, tailor-fitted dress and twirled in front of the mirror. It didn't fit quite like I remembered it, but I mentally convinced myself that it was good enough. I shouldn't expect perfection out of my first dress, right? So I stepped out of the bathroom and modeled for my friend who had helped me sew the dress. She "oohed" and "aahed" over my first successful sewing project, and we took a few pictures together to document the moment.

Before I went back to change into my other clothes, she stopped me in the hallway for another look at the dress. She picked around at a few places with a puzzled look on her face and said, "We'll have to make note in the pattern to make some changes here and there. It just doesn't fit quite right." I nodded in agreement, "But of course it is still beautiful!" She added with a bright smile.

So I hung the dress on a hanger and took it back to my dorm room. That's when I noticed something funny. The pretty little bow that I added at the last minute was sewn onto the back of the dress! I had the dress on backwards the whole time! No wonder it didn't fit right!

After a fit of laughter, I removed the bow and sewed it where it needed to be. Then I tried on the dress again, which fit like a glove this time. Now I have a bunch of hilarious pictures of myslef with my dress on backwards.

Now that the dress is a perfect fit, it reminds me to always let God do my spiritual fittings for me.  I deeply desire to be clothed in the fruits of His Spirit, but whenever I try to make my faith fit on my own, I get things backwards. When I try to clothe myself with my own works or my own abilities, the dress just doesn't quite fit or flatter. So don't settle for anything less than a perfect fit, and God is the master tailor who makes that happen for us. He is pleased to give us Spirit and clothe us with His character, if only we let Him to the fitting, pinning, and stitching as He sees fit. In the end, we are dressed in splendor that brings joy to us and glory to Him.

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