The Clothes That Define Our Lives

Why am I standing in my closet crying over a sweater? Just put it in the Goodwill bag. I am not a crier! You can do this. Let it go.

Let go of the memory it evokes of the season of life where my children were small and life was entirely in front of me, ripe with possibility. When I was so certain of where I was going, and how I’d get there. My mom made the sweater for me decades ago, a full four sizes ago. It was hopelessly out of fashion, and downsizing meant the necessary culling of purely sentimental items of no real value. Be ruthless; if you don’t ditch it, you have to pack it and make room for it in the future life you just embarked on.

The future life. This season of life so markedly different from the days that flew by in a whirlwind of job changes, children’s activities, and holidays. This future life holds so much more uncertainty than I ever imagined, with the necessary mourning of lost opportunities, time lost, and good intentions that never played out. I suppose I should blame the rich fantasy life and huge aspirations I carried around as a young woman; no one could have lived all the lives I dreamt about. It’s just that time flew by on fast forward until it seemed to suddenly stand still, here in the closet with the sweater, the baby clothes, and the pointy-toe heels that all silently point backwards to the moments I was unaware I should be savoring.

Yet, this moment is also humming with the excitement of the unknown. After the difficult task of culling out the old, comes the new. I have a lifetime of experience and knowledge that has given me the confidence to express myself in truth, and pass on all that I have to those coming up behind me. This grace given me by my Father in Heaven allows me to love myself and express that confidence in the clothes I wear, signaling to those around me the traits I want them to know about. I can exercise artistic expression in my choices, and take part in my own creation story, like my Father before me.

Philippians 3:13-15 reminds me that great things stretch before me, even in the unknown: “ I don’t depend on my own strength to accomplish this; however I do have one compelling focus: I forget all of the past as I fasten my heart to the future instead. 14 I run straight for the divine invitation of reaching the heavenly goal and gaining the victory-prize through the anointing of Jesus. 15 So let all who are fully mature have this same passion, and if anyone is not yet gripped by these desires, God will reveal it to them.”

A generation from now, I will have a closet reflecting the next season of my life, my changing body, and the goodness of the Lord to allow me to keep on creating and sharing my story. me.

Reflection

How do you feel about changing seasons in your life?
What future season are you worried about the most?
How can you prepare your heart to trust the Lord in that season?

Goals

Write one goal you can accomplish today (at home, at work, with family, etc.) that will allow you to live out your purpose in regard to fashion confidently reflecting your creative and artistic expression:

“13 I don’t depend on my own strength to accomplish this; however I do have one compelling focus: I forget all of the past as I fasten my heart to the future instead. 14 I run straight for the divine invitation of reaching the heavenly goal and gaining the victory-prize through the anointing of Jesus. 15 So let all who are fully mature have this same passion, and if anyone is not yet gripped by these desires, God will reveal it to them. (Philippians 3:13-15 TPT)