Strength, Dignity, and So Much More

A few days ago, as I was walking around my neighborhood, I was not listening to music, which is abnormal for me. As I took in my surroundings, observed the weather and the sky, and listened to the different sounds of nature around me, I was going through so many challenging thoughts. This walk was when I got home from my counseling session and, if you have ever been in long term counseling, you know how the process to get out of that head space can take some time. 

Filled with thoughts of current circumstances and hopes and plans for the future, my mind was still racing with the questions and doubts we often find ourselves experiencing in grief. In the midst of my thoughts and observations, God brought to mind the verse of how He clothes the lilies and how He will clothe us, too. Immediately, I thought of the description of a godly woman as seen in Proverbs 31:25:

“She is clothed with strength and dignity. She laughs without fear of the future.” 

Then it hit me. Of course God is going to provide our food and clothes (as mentioned in the verse of the lilies), but His care to clothe us is not solely external. If one may be clothed with strength and dignity, perhaps this refinement we are experiencing in grief is what God is using to knit us together a new inner wardrobe; one filled with different colors than others have; one that is durable and well-constructed because it takes time to create. This clothing He is knitting together for us is unique for each of us, but similar enough that we can acknowledge the pieces that make each of us who we are, how we are growing, and how we may have similar experiences and different strengths to offer as we grow.

This thought is what I am choosing to find joy in as I enter into an overly busy week filled with deadlines and commitments. Marching in with humility and boldness (and several cups of coffee), I am excited to embrace others with the perspective that leaning into Christ in the hard moments is another way to let Him clothe me as He sees fit. I urge you to join me in finding joy in the journey this week. He promises to clothe us and we already know He cares and always keeps His promises, so, in addition to not worrying about the physical needs that we are facing, let us not be discouraged by the deep inner needs we find ourselves with. Let us be real with ourselves and honest with God about them and let us find the strength to endure as these emotional battles equip us to be clothed with strength, dignity, and so much more!