Looking past many items in my closet in 2020 and into 2021, I reached for the super-comfy leggings and tunics time and again. My obsession with clothes quite obvious. I knew that already. I love nice things and the put together look. With few places to go the joy of shopping evaporated quickly. Uncertainty of online purchases cast its own shadow. Girlfriend trips to favorite boutiques impossible or limited at best, just not the same. Walking circles around our neighborhood required zero in the way of fancy threads
As a professional seamstress for many years, I assisted others in creating their personal fashion statements; a knockout prom dress; the perfect wedding gown. Their pleasure in the final product rewarded my efforts.
Remember the story, The Emperor’s New Clothes? The tailor he hired convinced him of the perfection of each new creation. His pride kept him from realizing each time he remained in his underwear. The clothes all make believe. A duped laughing stock in his kingdom. (I’m happy to report, no one entrusting their fashion wishes to me, left my care with imaginary clothes.)
My embroidery sewing machine makes jump stitches between portions of the design. So, where are my seemingly disconnected blog stitches hopping about? How many times I’ve read these verses in First Corinthians, but this time something jumped off the page in a new way I had not considered before, and I listened: New Clothes! (After all, the first two words are “Now listen,” and my word for the year is “listen.”)
Now listen to this: brothers and sisters, this present body is not able to inherit the kingdom of God any more than decay can inherit that which lasts forever. Stay close because I am going to tell you a mystery—something you may have trouble understanding: we will not all fall asleep in death, but we will all be transformed. It will all happen so fast, in a blink, a mere flutter of the eye. The last trumpet will call, and the dead will be raised from their graves with a body that does not, cannot decay. All of us will be changed! We’ll step out of our mortal clothes and slide into immortal bodies, replacing everything that is subject to death with eternal life.And, when we are all redressed with bodies that do not, cannot decay, when we put immortality over our mortal frames, then it will be as Scripture says:
Life everlasting has victoriously swallowed death.
Hey, Death! What happened to your big win?
Hey, Death! What happened to your sting?Sin came into this world, and death’s sting followed. Then sin took aim at the law and gained power over those who follow the law. Thank God, then, for our Lord Jesus, the Anointed, the Liberating King, who brought us victory over the grave.
~1 Corinthians 15:50-57 (VOICE)
The clothes Jesus brings allow us to step out of our pride. Out of all our sin. We won’t be naked, and His wardrobe is perfect and eternal! Everlasting life swallows up all the evil, all the inconvenience, all the obstacles of our earthly life. The clothes He brings shine the most put-together look ever. I’m trusting King Jesus to bring my new wardrobe, when He comes for His glorious bride.
In her beautiful robes, she is led to the king, accompanied by her bridesmaids. ~Psalm 45:15 (NLT)
I also saw the Holy City, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared like a bride adorned for her husband. ~Revelation 21:2 (HCSB)
I’ll clothe myself respectfully in the waiting. Rather not be seen in public (like the Emperor) in my underwear.
NOTE: The main character in my work-in-progress uses her skills as a dressmaker to provide for her family.
Copyright 2021, Lynn U. Watson
Scripture taken from The Voice™. Copyright © 2008 by Ecclesia Bible Society. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked HCSB are taken from the Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Holman CSB®, and HCSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.
Photographer’s credits
Closet photo from pixabay
Emperor photo from pixabay
Bride photo from pixabay