So why the skirts?

One of my good friends, Tori, went to school with me for a few years and we took some music classes together, and what not.  She is one of my sisters in Christ; she is sensitive to the Lord's spirit in that she senses when He wants her to do what we perceive as random things; but we know nothing is random in the Lord's way.  So here is a blog from her  sharing her personal convictions:  I encourage you to read it.  It's cool to see Jesus in EVERY aspect of life!

• "So why the skirts?"
• A little bit about my religious convictions and where my walk is with Christ:

  Most of the people in my life know that I wear skirts and have long hair. In my hometown there is a huge Pentecostal church that is widely known of and attended, therefore most of the time people just assume that I fit into, or follow, the Pentecostal 'standards'. The story of my religious convictions is a bit more complicated than that…

  The Summer before my Sophomore year, at a 'back to school' retreat at a small Pentecostal church in Ball, Louisiana God laid on my heart a strong conviction. I had been fervently praying that Christ give me the ability to 'speak eloquently'. I had been obsessed with the idea that I was not a good enough, or a knowledgeable enough Christian to speak to anyone about Christ. I was terrified that people would think of me as an uneducated hypocrite using the word of God as a tool to fuel my own agenda. Because of my fear most of the people at my school, and even some of my close friends and family, had no idea that I had been saved. I was seeking so desperately for God to help my light shine brighter into the community. I remember saying, 'God, I want people to know that I am a Christian as soon as I walk into a room. I want to be held to a higher standard for myself. I want others to always know that I am, or should be, representing your kingdom'. There have only been 3 times in my life that I have undoubtedly heard the voice of God answer my prayer, and this time it completely broke me. God laid on my heart a conviction to wear skirts, and have long hair from that point on.

  It's now 6 years later, and I am in a vastly different place than I was at 14. I have a stronger understanding of the word of God and organized religion. I am a more confident and educated speaker. I am now married and navigating the tail end of my college life. I have been let down and lifted up by religious figures in churches, schools, and the media. I am., to put it simply, growing…

  I have recently decided to not identify myself as a 'Pentecostal' for a few reasons. First and foremost I do not think it is my responsibility to take on the actions, good and bad, of a group of people from the last 100 years. I have met some of the kindest people in the world through my relationship with the UPC (United Pentecostal Church) , but I have also met some of the cruelest. Secondly, I simply don't agree with all of the teachings of the denomination. I believe in one true God. I believe in an ACTS 2:38 church, and I believe in baptism for the remission of sins. But you will never find me telling someone that they are going to hell for not having spoken in tongues. (In fact you will never find me telling anyone they are going to hell for any reason, because I do not know their heart, or what is written in the book of Life, or what their relationship is with Christ, or what personal journey they are on.) Thirdly, I believe that finding a group of like minded thinkers, and a Christian leader called to minister by the Lord is a wonderful thing. I do not, however, think that denominations or organized religion as a whole is helpful or necessary. I am very tired of splitting hairs with the people of my religion, and with arguing with those outside of it. It's too much time and energy being wasted. God is not the author of confusion. He will reveal the answers to my questions through his word, thoughtful prayer, and the guidance of those he puts in my life. The end.

  All of that to say…. I love my skirts. They saved me. They were my safety blanket, they forced me to learn how to match and dress myself decently, they taught me to be true to who I was and not succumb to peer pressure. For the first 2 years I had no money to buy new outfits, so the women in my community brought me their clothes. They were precious stories handed down in garbage bags from women who didn't have much to give in the first place. My skirts affirmed my trust in the power of modesty. They helped me live a lifestyle that kept me pure for my husband. They offered up countless conversations about the Lord with complete strangers. They truly changed my life.

  As I approach this new chapter in my life I can admit that I am scared. I don't know if I will always wear skirts and not cut my hair, but I know that the Lord with guide me. I will be a Theatre major for the first time next year, and I am a little terrified to be thrust into my first professional experience with costumes and shows. I don't know exactly how the next few years of my life will pan out, but I have faith in the will of the Lord. More than anything, I want to express that my relationship with Christ is more than skirts. It's about him changing me from the inside out, not the outside in. I am learning that this path was God's will for me, but that from now on I need to understand and pray that people know that I am a Christian when I walk in the room because I am allowing God to use me. My testimony and my positive influence can be a direct result of the way that I live my life, and not just what I have on.

  I ask that anyone who reads this pray for me from time to time. I hope that my story can help other people who are struggling with modesty, conviction, or anyone seeking to find the truth through all of the hazy lines being drawn by the world's view of 'religion'.