HOLEY-NESS
I think we’re the current victims of a denim conspiracy. Every time I pull a load of laundry from the washing machine these days, I notice yet another hole in some body’s jeans. We’ve tried the cute butterfly patches and even sported the “fashionably flawed” knees, but what we really need is a hefty dose of warm weather. Winter wardrobes are fraying fast and the shorts in my kids’ drawers are begging to take the stage.
Yesterday, after Lizzy’s favorite jeans had ripped in the middle of her trampoline flip-fest, she shuffled into the house and modeled her new holes. Then, with a devilish grin, she said, “At least I wasn’t at school when it happened!”
I rolled my eyes and remembered the day that a fraying pair of jeans taught me a succinct lesson in humility…
There is nothing I detest MORE than shopping for jeans. Hours in the dressing room trying to match obscure women’s sizing to my atypical body shape leave me exhausted and crabby. Once I finally find a pair of jeans that fits my both body type and my budget, I cling to them like my daughter clings to her favorite blankie. Admittedly, I wear my denim long past their days of “style” because I’m daunted by the prospect of having to find a new pair that once again fits and flatters.
That being said, my generous slice of humble pie began with my childish refusal to replace an old pair of jeans. It all started with a simple hole- nothing inappropriate or immodest- just a little rip in the well-worn knee. I noticed the fraying threads as I pulled on my jeans for the day, but thought little of the small slit at the time. Soon after, while I was plodding through the garage with an armload of groceries, I caught my pant leg on a child’s scooter that had been tossed carelessly in my path. A quiet, “RRRIP” alerted me to the deteriorating condition of my favorite jeans, but a quick inspection of the weak knee put my anxieties at ease. The hole was larger now, but certainly wearable. “After all,” I reasoned, “well-worn denim is in style.” The morning slipped away and before I knew it was time to head to the elementary school for my monthly volunteer slot.
Though I’d planned to dress a bit more professionally, I calculated the minutes I needed to travel and realized that if the guest reader of the day was going to arrive on time, she’d simply have to go as is. Moments later, I raced into Lizzy’s kindergarten classroom with my favorite laugh-out-loud books in hand. I invited the youngsters to join me on the rainbow rug and eased myself on to the floor. Above the low rumble of kindergarten chatter, I heard a discomforting “RRIIIIPP”! One glance at my favorite jeans revealed the embarrassing truth: my “tiny slit” was now a hole the size of the Grand Canyon! Stretching from mid-calf to upper-thigh, the gash looked like a homemade tent flap flung wide open.
Scarlet humiliation spread across my cheeks as the squirming squad of listeners waited for me to open the first book. I glanced at my normally laid back daughter and saw my own dismay reflected in her bright blue eyes. With no immediate remedy in sight, I stacked a few more picture books in front of me and attempted to hide behind the self-made wall of defense as I opened the first book and checked to see if my own underclothes were on display.
Later that evening, I recounted to my chuckling husband the horrific details of my “guest reader debut.” With a moan, I admitted, “And the worst part of it all is that my favorite jeans are beyond repair! Now I have to go shopping AGAIN!!”
My practically minded husband offered little sympathy. Instead, he asked the question that had been haunting me ever since my humbling denim demise. “And why didn’t you just patch that hole this morning?”
Though I am no longer invited to read picture books to Lizzy’s class at school, the lesson I learned on that rainbow rug sticks with me still today. Those tattered jeans remind me that it’s best to tend to my holes sooner than later! Each morning I’m wise to take an inventory of my frayed and flawed heart and invite the Lord to apply His perfect patch of truth. After all, HOLINESS is the best fashion of all!
The Overflow: “So roll up your sleeves, put your mind in gear, be totally ready to receive the gift that’s coming when Jesus arrives. Don’t lazily slip back into those old grooves of evil, doing just what you feel like doing. You didn’t know any better then; you do now. As obedient children, let yourselves be pulled into a way of life shaped by God’s life, a life energetic and blazing with holiness. God said, “I am holy; you be holy.” I Peter 1:13
The Overflow: “So roll up your sleeves, put your mind in gear, be totally ready to receive the gift that’s coming when Jesus arrives. Don’t lazily slip back into those old grooves of evil, doing just what you feel like doing. You didn’t know any better then; you do now. As obedient children, let yourselves be pulled into a way of life shaped by God’s life, a life energetic and blazing with holiness. God said, “I am holy; you be holy.” I Peter 1:13
I’m glad to know I’m not alone in jean shopping misery. I’ve worn the same pair of Gap jeans for years now… just re-order the same thing with each new “rip” 🙂 With five kids, who needs variety in jeans? Each day has an unpredictable “style’ of its own 🙂
Have fun at your conference!
What a terrific post, Alicia! So funny! And such truth!
I’m with you, I hate shopping for jeans. And once I find a pair that fits both body and budget, I buy two pair! And I wear them until they’re worn out.
Thanks for the giggles this morning!