Autocorrect and Clothing Miscommunication

So we've all had our issues and perhaps awkward moments with auto-correct. Mine was simply a matter of the exact-opposite message than I'd meant! A few years ago, a friend asked me about my plans for the 4th of July. I'd intended to write that I was going to "an informal gathering with friends." Well. My phone thought I should say I was attending "an infernal gathering with fiends!" lol.

Do you ever look in the mirror during your quiet moments and wonder if your clothes send the opposite message to what you mean? You know, like maybe you want to look fierce so people don't assume that your gentleness means weakness. So you wear metal studs and colors devoid of any gentleness at all. Or maybe you are attending an art school, and you feel pressured to look "unique." So you up the unusual accessories. But now you're more of a caricature than the real you.

I hear you. I've been there in my own ways. When I was in high school, I was a bit of a trendoid. I'd always liked clothes, but for many relational reasons, I'd come to a place where I no longer wanted to stand out. I still wanted to be noticed, but I didn't want to subject myself to people's misunderstanding. I didn't even know this was happening at the time; it took looking back to discover it. Anyway, the trends took me where I didn't want to go.

Thankfully someone noticed the discrepancy and said something to me. He was humble about it, thankfully, but it made me think. He basically said that to see me and to know me were two different things. He said he knew a young woman who was caring, humble and sensible in her relationships. But he saw someone who dressed provocatively. It was so true! I wasn't over the top, but I was in line with the trends that got feedback I couldn't always handle. Just  like my auto-corrected message, I was sending the exact opposite message than I'd intended! Regardless of my intentions, though, it was still inviting the opposite of what I wanted in life!

The solution? Think about what your clothes may be saying. Then take time to get to know the real you. Even if you know yourself fairly well, is there more to discover? During those quiet moments of wondering about your identity, reach out to God, the One who knit you together beautifully. Ask Him to tell you about You. Ask Him why He made you, and what He had in mind. Prepare to be delighted, and to let go of anything keeping you from being Real!


**Thank you for reading today's blog! If you'd like help discovering your real identity and reflecting it in your clothing, check out Stacey's Styling!