Saying Yes to the dress… a big deal, right? Some of us grow up dreaming about our wedding dress, imagining that ‘fairy-tale wedding’ and fantasising about what it will be like.
To this day brides will spend a lot of time and money on it. Finding the perfect wedding dress for the perfect wedding is an event on its own – there is even a TV show about it.
When I was a little girl, I remember thinking about my dress but as time goes on and you grow in a not-so fairy-tally world reality sinks in. So, when it was time to find my dress, I just wanted to be practical and not worry too much about it. My wedding was a little over 3 months away and I had to find the dress as quickly as possible.
On the day we booked the first fitting family dynamics were a little off, people around me were stressed and there seemed to be a lot of negativity. The first fitting did not go so well, which could have been discouraging. I was told that time was short and that for the budget I had options were very limited. However, the entire time, I knew in my heart that God was in control, that He can do all things and I would find THE dress. I simply said to the Lord “I leave it in Your hands, show me the dress You want”.
We left the first store, walked around a bit, and decided to enter another. The first thing we were told as we went in was “You are very lucky as we have a wedding dress assistant available at this precise moment”. I instantly knew that this was God’s provision and that I would find the dress there and then.
When it comes to the dress, I think most of us always have an idea of what we want and what shape, design, etc we like. I was thinking of something nice and fitted, that would in a sense accentuate my body shape.
I tried a few options at first, but as soon as I put this gorgeous, detailed princess dress on and looked at myself in the mirror there was an overwhelming feeling in my heart that I cannot describe. A joy, a peace, a sense of identity!
I sensed in my heart – This is how God sees me. At that moment with tears coming down my eyes, I knew that this was the dress God had for me.
A princess is a daughter of a sovereign/royal. She is treated with respect, love and much care. She knows her role and value and behaves in a way that embodies just that. I noticed that I was seeing with my own eyes how God sees me and how important and treasurable I am to Him.
God, our Creator, loves, respects and cares for us unconditionally. We should do the same! We should endeavour for this in our relationships, the way we see ourselves and the way we live our lives. We should know our worth and live according to it.
It’s very interesting how the concept of beauty implanted in us by the world encourages us to exalt what we have and show it for everyone to see. But God sees beauty in purity, simplicity and in every small detail.
See, at the end of the Bible when Christ marries His Bride she is loved and beautiful. She is shining, pure, whole, holy, glorious and graciously freed from any stains of sin because of the work of Christ.
And this is exactly the work God is doing in us. We are becoming His Bride by being purified, becoming whiter and simpler, with no wrinkle or stain yet so beautiful and yet so refined and detailed.
So, for me saying “Yes to the dress” was more than just that. It was like finding myself, understanding who I am, how God sees me and who I am becoming in Christ. It was a special moment that I will always carry with me. A remembrance that I am loved and will always be.
