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P.I.M. (Poison Ivy Maiden)
I have poison ivy. I’ve had it for about a month now, off and on. The reason for the itchy spots on my arms is not from my adventures in the wild nor foolish play, but because I’ve had to get goats, thus walking through poison ivy. I can’t hold Lucy or really touch her until it’s gone. On top of that the mosquitoes have been horrible. Within the last week alone millions have come out and you can no longer walk out the front door without getting swarmed. I am a poison ivy plant covered in mosquito bites! I. am. so. itchy.

Last week I asked mom if I could just wear my under-shirt (tank-top) because the poison ivy on my arms were so itchy and my sleeve was just rubbing against it. It was late, and all the boys were in bed, so mom let me wear it alone. I felt naked with nothing covering my shoulders, though, and in a way embarrassed.

Here in the Dixon house…
We don’t wear tank-tops, swimsuits (as if we ever go swimming), or shorts. Even the boys are not allowed to wear above-the-knee shorts. Pants and knee-length shorts are the only thing they can wear. The girls usually dress in skirts, unless working in the mosquito infested barn/yard.

Mom, being the one who stays home and dresses us and buys most of our clothing, has to keep an eye on what we wear. I have not always agreed with her idea and rules about the clothes we can wear, but over the past few years I have come to realise the Biblical obligation to wear modest clothing, and it is not long “their” rule. Wearing shoulder-less shirts (tank-top, spaghetti-straps, bikinis) and shorts/tight jeans are immodest IMHO. As Christians young ladies we should be defined by many things, including the clothes we wear, how much make-up we put on, and the way we look at boys (Proverbs 9:13-15). We are, someday, going to marry (Genesis 2:18-24, 1 Timothy 2:13-15) and we want to be as pure and modest as we can for Prince Charming.

My Long Road To Femininity…
In 2005 when I played softball I wore shorts that came just above my knees. I was comfortable wearing them, and I hated skirts. Wearing skirts was stupid and they were for the ‘goody-goody’ homeschool families, whose daughters did nothing but cook and clean. After mom bought me a skirt, against my wishes, and I wore it a few times.. I realised that I felt pretty in skirts and they defined me from other girls and boys. It’s not too often you see a girl in a knee-length skirt.

I started reading the Bible more, instead of fighting against it, and reading about keeper at home and what that meant. It didn’t seem like such a burden as it did before. I suppose it was presented to me in a bad light in the beginning, and I think that’s why so many are against it (and also they want what they want so they have a circumstantial-faith).

My sister was no help and all the things that these “goody-goody’ homeschool families” did made me feel like a terrible person if I didn’t want to wear skirts and be a ’servant’. But as I started to take interest in the KAH idea and read the Word, I got a better understanding of a keeper at home was… I wanted to follow. I have found that in a way Jesus was *just* what a keeper at home is defined as. He was humble, obedient, loyal to his Father’s will, and self-less. The femininity-view today is completely opposite, which is why we have scantily-clad girls walking around. They can dress how they want to; it’s their body. That is why I don’t think it’s up to one person to determine if their apparel is immodest. If we did that than we’d have a few more Brittany Spears and Sharpay (HS Musical) walking around, both believers and unbelievers. Eeek! We have to rely on our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ to help us in our walk as Paul wrote many times.

My Heart Changed…
I don’t know when or why my opinion of the matter changed, but it did. Maybe it was the Lord changing me into the person who was going to be writing to you today (and for the past year and half). BUT what if I hadn’t listened? Who would I be today, and would you all still think highly of me?

As I’ve learned sometimes we really really really have to lay down our ideals and our opinions of things like this and listen to… Him, who is the Holy one. I used to fight my mom about being feminine because I was fine just the way I was, but I found that mom wasn’t trying to mold me to be just like so-and-so. She was just trying to follow the Word.

After that I was in complete agreement with the feminine idea, but I did take it too seriously and thought everyone who didn’t do the same was wrong. My view on this has also changed - rather than being judgmental, I just try to understand (because I was once at that place) and be ‘light’. I realised that wearing pants isn’t immodest if you’re a girl, but that wearing a skirt makes you more feminine. It’s not a matter of modesty.

The Bible says…
In Proverbs (31:25) that “Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in the time to come”. We should not worry so much about clothing that is become an uncomfortable subject. We should just dress modestly so we can also cloth our ourselves in strength and honour in our Lord so that when the time comes (when He returns) we may rejoice.

This verse is very similar…1 Peter 3: 3 Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; 4 But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.

The most commonly used verse is probably 1 Timothy 2:9, “In like manner also, that woman adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls or costly array.” I think that Paul was not trying to make women look as plain as they could, but he was really trying to tell them that it’s not gold, pearls or costly array that makes a women modest and pure, which is another reason not to spend money on the latest-and-greatest fashion.

How are you displaying your modesty?
Like the world defines it or how God does? It’s not complicated unless you disagree with it - and only then do things become unclear as I found when people try to debate the Word and God.

As I walk down this road, I am striving to please one and only one, Jesus Christ, the saviour of the world.

*This was not written to push my ideals on anyone, but to simply share them in all Christian-love and humility. I am still learning and growing in the Lord. I do not profess to “know it all” nor do I.

Jocelyn, A Pondering Heart

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