Atractivenes and modesty

Modesty and atractiveness require some thought and effort. And many of us lead busy lives. We are also not perfect, which means we may fail now and again, or will need to reassess our wardrobes or our routines. The last few months I have realised that a lot of the garments that I wore that were both atractive and modest earlier, are not anymore. How did that happen? Well, pregnancy and breastfeeding changed my body type. Some places are now filled more and others less. This affects both hemlines and cleavage. Some dresses need a little top underneath it now to be modest. Some dresses are a bit too tight and therefor unflattering. And some things have been washed so often that they have become a bit more see through than they were when I bought them, making them both less modest and less atractive.

But it is not just a matter of clothes. I need to tone up a little bit, to make my body, my temple, strong and healthy. I need to find new routines for my hair and skin care. And underneath it all, as the fundament, I need to make sure that my spirit is aimed at God, my soul is longing for Him, and my mind is set on Him.
Does it sound overwhelming? It can be. Which is why routines and plans and actions need the occasional adjustment, and atitude often needs some finetuning.
Body, mind and soul need to be a unit. It is not a matter of either or. A Father wants the best for his daughter. A King expect a lot of his princesses, or even his ladies in waiting.

Mary, mother of Jesus said of herself: "Behold, the handmaiden of the Lord..." Think about it, each day we serve in His presence. Should we not dress the part? If today we were standing before the heavenly throne, would we feel ackward and underdressed?
I am by no means saying that there are not certain times in which practicality needs to have more sway than beauty. Sometimes we need to dig in the yard. Sometimes we need to be on our hands and knees to scrub a floor. Sometimes we need to take care of a whole household of sick people and we spend our days between buckets and toilets and dishes.
But the other 'busy days' in which we need to take care of children, we should not be wearing an outfit that proclaims to the world that we just don't care. Frumpy blouses, sweatpants and oversized T shirts, and overwashed ill fitting jeans have given more than one mom the appearance of having given up.

(to be continued)