look ma...new pants

so after 5 12oz cups of coffee, 3 states in 4 days, very little sleep during the whole thing, 2.5 tanks of gas, and some much needed time away im really tired but after driving/thinking 9 of the last 18 hours i need to get this thought off of my chest

i know this has probably never happened to you before but sometimes i hear someone has a habit or a quirk or an odd event in their life and i think its really wierd or gross or strange or nasty

until i realize i do or have the same thing

and then i just feel bad

this happened the other day when i was reading the other day and overheard a conversation between a college aged guy and his friend talking about how about a month ago the first guy had been kicked out of his apartment and was rotating sleeping on different friends couches...somehow (i never caught the reasoning) he only had one outfit and so for about 2 weeks he would shower at peoples apartments but then would have to put on the same clothes he had been wearing.....and of course he eventually began smelling less than appealing

that isnt the end of the story but its all of it that is relevant (i know...sticking with only the relevant part....arent you proud?)

im not sure exactly what youre thoughts are at this moment but if they are anything close to what mine were you are probably a little grossed out and lacking in what to say about it.....

i was...for lack of a better word...repulsed

until i realized i do that every day too


ok so maybe not physically...

but definitely spiritually (ok folks, she has DEFINITELY lost it now)


stick with me

so for 16 years i had this one outfit...it was gross and smelly and dirty and ugly and ripped and just altogether awful

so God comes along one day and says hey kate, I got you this really amazing gift because I love you and it cost me ALOT but I really think youre worth it and I really want you to have it

ok God...what is it

well I know you have only ever had one outfit...but I wanted more for you...so I got you an entire new wardrobe...and you can put it on as soon as you want, all you have to do is take a shower and wash the dirt off and then you can put on all these beautiful new clothes I got you

now common logic says that we would be fools to not take this offer

and the first part of the offer is really simple...the getting the shower


thats easy...that inital cleaning...we might even enjoy it

but as soon as we get out of that and have to put those new clothes on...something happens

the something isnt the same something for everyone...sometimes its 1 something...sometimes its lots of somethings...but nevertheless...it is indeed SOMETHING...

sometimes we are afraid to put them on because we've never had new clothes before...
sometimes we dont know if people will recognize us
sometimes we dont know if we will recognize ourselves
sometimes we feel like after being dirty for so long we arent worthy of such beautiful clothes
sometimes we think our peers might think we're overdressed
sometimes we think they might think we're underdressed
sometimes we dont want to get them dirty because it might ruin them
sometimes we dont want to get them dirty because God might get mad at us
sometimes we dont know how to put them on
sometimes we think life wont be fun anymore if we change what we are wearing
sometimes we just think the old clothes feel better....theyre more comfortable
sometimes we think there is no way God doesnt expect a gift back if we decide to take His
sometimes we just cant explain why its hard....

but i think i do something that is even worse...

i pick out a pair of pants and some shoes from Gods collection...but then decide to put on my old shirt (leave it to me to try and compromise with the Creator of the Universe)

so God comes along and says hey kate, let Me see how great you look in the stuff I got you...

i come out wearing half of His stuff and half of mine...

i can almost see the puzzled look on His face as He tilts His head to the side...

umm..kate?...uh...that shirt is really ugly...and it doesnt go with your new clothes at all...I got you a new shirt, why dont you have that on instead?

well you see God, the pants and shoes are fine...i never really liked my old shoes anyway and ive known for a while that the pants were just about on their last leg (yes...yes i DID just make that joke) and so it was really nice to get the pants and shoes, and im not saying your shirt isnt nice...i mean, im sure it looks good on some people...but i just didnt think with my hair color and face shape that the shirt You got me was going to look as good

did you try it on?

umm...i mean...i...kind of...i mean i did...but...um....well, i wouldve had to have earrings and a bag...and then a necklace probably too...and my socks wouldnt have matched either...so...


kate, i got you that stuff, i got you everything you needed...i picked it all out for you...i love you but this is an all or nothing deal...either put on everything that i gave you....or dont even bother getting a shower....



as Christ followers we are called to take off our old sinful clothing and put on a much better cleaner nicer prettier wardrobe provided to each one of us by our Creator Himself

and its a daily thing, just like we (hopefully) physically clean ourselves each day

but im never going to be perfect...sometimes i just want to stop trying and give up...im just going to end up sinning again

well, you get dirty every single day and you know the next day that youre going to get dirty again...but that doesnt stop you from showering for the millionth time right?! of course not! because you just accepted a long long time ago that it was something that was a never ending process....and sometimes your morning shower takes longer because maybe youre extra dirty and youre having to scrub a little bit harder...but the first second that you see the first spec of dirt come off your skin you just know that youre going to keep scrubbing until its all off...

i dont know what your reasons are for not wanting to put those new clothes on...sometimes, i dont even know my own....

but i know that i serve a God who has given me this wardrobe at the highest price...because he loves me...and i know that im never going to stop needing showers....and i know that this is an all or nothing deal....and i know that those showers may sometimes take longer than i want and that those pants may not always be the most comfortable...


but i also know that my God knows what looks best on me...



and that makes it a perfect fit.