I Am the Backwards Dress Girl!

The other day, I was talking to my husband, Anthony, about how I was struggling with feeling insecure in a particular situation, and worrying about what people thought of me. He laughed and reminded me of a story from the summer of 2014. 

He said, “You are the woman who showed up super late to my union’s ball at the culmination of our week of training in Las Vegas! Everyone was so glad to meet you and impressed by you—the union’s national officers and their wives. Even the band leader jumped off the stage and chose you to lead the conga line! You were socializing, enjoying yourself, and everyone was loving you! It wasn’t until the end of the night that you went to the bathroom and realized your dress had been on backwards the entire time! Meanwhile, no one had noticed! All they noticed was how awesome my wife was!” 

Then we talked about how, if I had realized at the beginning of the evening that my dress was on backwards—and couldn’t do anything about it—I probably would have recoiled and withdrawn instead of being social. I would have been so focused on protecting myself from what people might think that I would have dimmed my light. But because I didn’t know, I was free from that worry. I was able to be myself, fully enjoy the moment, and allow others to enjoy me as well! 

I’m convinced that there will always be people who notice things, and among them, there will always be someone who wants to make an issue out of it. That seems especially true on social media, where that kind of behavior runs rampant.

But the truth is, worrying about those people only robs me of the joy of my journey through life. It also affects my availability to walk closely with God and join Him in whatever He is doing along the way, because my attention is consumed by my own insecurities. I believe there is joy in doing the Lord’s work, and I want to serve Him joyfully. I truly count it a privilege to be invited to partner with Him. I don’t want to be the one focusing on the little things that don’t really matter in the grand scheme of things and miss opportunities to be helpful, encouraging, or simply bring a smile to someone’s face and lift their spirits. 

I am far from perfect on so many levels! I’ll probably never be completely polished in the way I look, speak, or act, and yet God has still chosen me for certain tasks. I am learning that when my attention is fixed on myself or the opinions of others, insecurity grows within me. But when I fix my attention on God and the people He has placed in front of me—spending time with them, listening to them, and serving them—I become more available for Him to use me.

✨ So, my reminder to myself is this: I am the backwards dress girl—and I choose to embrace that about myself! 

I am the one who doesn’t have it all together, and yet God still chooses to partner with me. His grace covers me, and He can still use me to help others. If I can take my focus off myself, simply be present in the moment, and let my light shine without the anxiety of how I might be perceived by others, people will see God’s awesomeness. And maybe I can encourage someone else who feels they lack polish in life. 💖

“But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” — II Corinthians 12:9 NIV

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” — Hebrews 12:1-2 NIV 

“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” — Matthew 5:14-16 NIV