The Lily Lesson

"But I can't dress nicely. I don't have enough money to purchase clothing, let alone purchase things that are 'pretty.'"

Believe me -- I know what it's like to be empty-pocketed when it comes to purchasing what might be considered frivolous. My family was hit hard when the recession began. I was so blessed to have a dedicated father working two jobs at the time, and my mother, brother, and I all worked together in food service at our church. We learned gratitude as we never could have imagined. (And created some of the best recipes that we still use today.) Trusting our Heavenly Father for our daily needs can be a hard lesson to learn, but also very fulfilling!

So what is a girl to do when it comes to fashion and appearance when funds are low?

 ^"And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin,  yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these."

Matthew 6:28-29

 ^"Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.  But if God so clothes the grass, which is alive in the field today, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith!"

Luke 12:27-28

Is it not interesting that this account of Christ's comforting command to trust Him for how we are to be clothed is documented not only once in the gospels, but twice? This verse must be directed toward women, because I know very few men who worry about what they will wear ;)

In all seriousness, what a simple and profound truth. Flowers are adorned more beautifully than anything a great king could wear! Yet we are so much more precious than flowers. We are daughters of the greatest King of all! Worrying about what we wear will not bring us peace or confidence in the Lord. We will only gain a discontented heart, while playing the wearying game of want.

As I said above, trusting our Heavenly Father for our daily needs can be a hard lesson to learn, but oh-so fulfilling when we do! When we had very little extra to devote to purchasing clothing, the Lord provided for us through random sacks of clothes, birthday gift and rewards cards, piles of fabric scraps, and thrifty buys! We got creative, and we decided to have fun!

So get creative! Wear a skirt as a scarf, make a fancy flower appliqué from fabric scraps, or turn an old pair of tights into a headband. Read craft fashion blogs, draw inspiration from friends and etsy, and purchase out-of-season clothing to get extra savings! Here is a post we wrote a few months back about thrifty shopping.

But don't worry. Our Heavenly Father will provide what is best for each of us, and we will learn that simple and profound truth.

Ladybird Ln