My Little Black Dress

The following is written by a beautiful woman involved with MIHI!

By Christine Saah:

We all have those moments that we regret. The memories weigh us down, and lead to a sense of shame. One year ago I was at my smllest weight. I was looking good and finally could strut my stuff in my little black homecoming dress. That night was in a worldly sense the best night of my life, but my soul was wasting away. I wanted affirmation of my self worth by dressing immodestly. The affirmation felt good for a little bit, but it did not last.

Now when I see my little black dress, I feel a rush of sorrow. I remember that I was empty on the inside, and very far from Christ. I remember the shame that I felt the next day when I tried to remember who I danced with, how much I drank, how much I ate and who I kissed. That black dress hung in my closet for a year and with the advice of Maura, I am getting rid of it. It’s bad enough to have the memories of my mistakes, but it’s even worse when I have the physical reminder. The dress makes me want to shrink down to my smaller size and distorts my thoughts.

The clothes I wear do not make me who I am, but ultimately reflect my beliefs. Immodest dress reveals that I do not see my worth. If I knew my worth, I wouldn’t be tempting guys. I wouldn’t be using my body as an object. God gave us more than a body. We are not just a set of skin and bones. I’m not saying that every girl (or even guy) who dresses inappropriately is an awful person. We all have the pressure to give into what the world demands of us. We make mistakes. What we can do is recognize that we are made in the image of God.

We are beautiful just as we are in this very moment, regardless of our dress or weight. We don’t have to constantly modify our bodies to become more worthy of attention or love. We need to take what we have, treat it right, and glorify God. It’s simple. Wear the right size clothes, regardless of the number. Don’t try to dress in a way that doesn’t fit your body type. No one has the same body type. We all have to learn what works best for us. God created each one of us. He has distinguished my mind and body from every other person out there. He has done the same for you.

Our goal is to imitate Christ and if anything gets in the way of that, we don’t need it. I don’t need my little black dress, because all it does is bring me shame. God never wants to put me to shame. He wants me to be loved so that I can love others.