In all honesty, I tuned in even earlier for the "Must Watch" RED Carpet prelude. Oooooooo! Ahhhhhhh! What girl doesn't want to see all of Hollywood's starlets dressed to the nines? It's glamorous! And it got me to thinking...
"How has this "Red Shoe Project"
effected my sense of fashion?"
Just what is today's "Woman of God" wearing? Yikes! I don't know if I can live up to that, and I'm certainly not here to stir up any controversy... But I have made some interesting observations.
I must admit, weeks before I started The Red Shoe Project, it crossed my mind that there would be times in which my RED shoes wouldn't match my fashionable outfit of the day. What would people think when the color of my shoes clashed with the color of my outfit? I looked forward to discussing things like: What do you do when your faith isn't in style? or What do you do when your faith doesn't match your style? What I never considered was that by the time that day arrived, it wouldn't be about that at all. Instead my conversation would go in a different direction.
* First and foremost... I never anticipated that I'd fall in love. That changes everything! Because when you're in love, nothing else really matters. I don't really care anymore what people think about my shoes or my faith.
* Walking and talking with God each day has been a transformational experience (inwardly and outwardly). I'm not in the same place with God that I was when this all started.
My gosh... it's only day 55. Where will I be, what will I be wearing and what will I be saying on day 155? or 255? or 365? Only time will tell.
* My RED footwear is reflective of my faith, and my faith is how I fashion myself. My RED Shoes remind me of Christ and the priority He takes in my life. How I dress should be an accurate reflection of that relationship. I've become very sensitive to the fact that I don't want to misrepresent The One whom I'm looking for each day. After all...
He is "The Almighty God." I don't take that lightly. Have you heard of the phrase, "FEAR GOD?" Enough said.
* My dearest friend Mary Ann and I are often mistaken for sisters. We've known each other for 30 years. We've spent so much time together that we've picked up habits and characteristics from one another. People comment that we resemble one another... think like one another... even talk like one another. One time a neighbor of mine, unbeknownst to me, met Mary Ann. While they were talking to each other, she blurted out, "You remind me so much of my neighbor!" What a laugh Mary Ann had when she discovered that I was the neighbor.
I say all this because hanging out every day with God has it's benefits. One is that His character... His Word... His Love... (and so much more) have begun to rub off on me. That is a Good thing! The Bible exhorts us to "Be imitators of God." That means that we should be an accurate reflection of Him. I've by no means arrived, but I'm daily moving along in the right direction. I'm starting to think more like He'd think. I've begun to say things that are more in alignment with what He would say. So that ultimate "look" is slowly coming together. It's a work in progress.
* People ask me all the time, "How many pairs of RED shoes do you have?" Not that many, I'm on a budget. I often wear the same Ruby slippers day after day. This isn't a fashion show by any means. But, I have found that when I am in the greatest need for a touch from God or to hear from Him, I throw on the brightest, sparkliest, RED rompers that I can squeeze my feet into.
They might come across as ridiculously obnoxious to onlookers, but they fill me with the HOPE I need to find what I am looking for that day.
* I used to think that people would wonder, "Who does this lady in the RED shoes think she is?" I thought that I'd stand out in a crowd, almost demanding attention. But being with Him has had a humbling effect. Not only do "the shoes" remind me of Him... but I've come to realize that "The shoes" are not for ME to stand out in the crowd, but for HIM to stand out in the crowd. If and when people comment on the RED shoes, it's as if the door opens wide for me to introduce them to my daily companion... God!
The Oscars have all been given out for the night. I can turn off my television, pop off my RED slippers and crawl into bed for the night. As for me personally...
FASHION isn't so much what I'm wearing on the outside
but Who's living on the inside.
My prayer is that my RED shoes will continually reflect
The One I Love, as I step out into the world each day!
Gail
