Custom made clothing – the tailor made suit.

I was asked to be part of a team comprised of such quality ladies in its lineup…so of course I said, “Yes, I’m in!” I was thrilled to be involved and it was truly amazing!  Although it was years ago, I will never forget our wonderful team, nor the women we ministered with and in India. While there, I spoke to hundreds of incredible women who came to the sessions.

As they filed in, the stream of them continued until the large, well-lit meeting room was packed full. I was awestruck with their beauty and by the full array of colorful garments they were clad in. It was a parade of noticeably vibrant color! Whoa! It blew my mind.

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I am slowly coming out of a long, dark stage of colorlessness. In other words I wear a lot of black. But I really do enjoy color!

After spending time and traveling through India, I told a friend, “It felt as if I were in a dream and an artist’s paint pallet had exploded. The result was many bright hues which remained everywhere and on everyone. It was glorious!

One of my mentor friends told me, “I remember the first time I visited Guatemala.” She reflected,”Oh, Rachel I was drunk with color!” I could relate because that’s exactly how I felt while in India, it was mesmerizing, bright and wonderfully intoxicating.

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I marveled at the rainbow of colorful elegant saris and salwar kameez outfits the women wore. A sari is just one of many outfits traditionally worn in India. Another is the “salwar kameez” which is worn both as an everyday outfit and in more formal settings as well.

A salwar is a pair of loose drawstring trousers that are tapered and fit more tightly around the ankle area. The salwar is worn underneath the kameez, which is the long tunic worn on top. The out fit is completed with a scarf. My dear friend told me the scarf is to cover our bumps.

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I had the privilege of riding through the streets observing as our driver maneuvered and obeyed the”rules of the road” which felt more like mere suggestions to me than rules. Our team of women were delightedly given an opportunity to go shopping.

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It was a lot to take in. A time of major sensory overload. We witnessed so many sights, sounds, smells and colors in the streets and in the local shops. It was bustling and loud yet quite invigorating! I remember going into a bit more up scale shop, it was air-conditioned and was deep and narrow inside. I want to get an outfit from here!

The store housed so many bolts of fabric, all displayed on dark wooden shelves which lined the walls from floor to ceiling. There were hundreds of fabrics we could choose from. Oh, my gosh, look at all these fabrics I get to choose from! I’m going to get a tailor-made outfit…What?

The shop clerk attended to us and pulled many bolts off the shelves, placed them on the counter in front of us to examine and select while the others got fitted.

It was my turn. I was struck by how precise the thin tailor was as he pulled out his tape measure, took my measurements and wrote them each down on his small pad of paper he had on the glass counter top.

He finished rather quickly and I asked, “Is that it?”

He bobbled his head back and forth, then emphatically answered, “Yes! You come back in two days.”

We returned a few days later and both of my tailor-made salwar-kameez outfits were waiting for me. Each had optional longer sleeves attached with a safety-pin to the top of my Kameez. What’s with these?  It was explained to me they were longer sleeves in case I wanted to have them sewn on instead.

I loved wearing my new salwar kameez. I looked fabulous and all put together, but was really super comfortable. It was almost as if I was wearing a set of my favorite PJs. I could grow accustomed to this!

The whole custom-made clothing thing was truly amazing and a lot of fun. I’ve never had anything fit me so well. I wore my two new outfits during the remaining part of our trip.

I remember thinking, I LOVE THESE CLOTHES! they fit me perfectly.

I’m 5 foot 2 1/2 so often, off the rack pants, are way too long. Plus in the shirt category… the darts of a standard blouse are way too long, clearly intended for someone who has a little more on top, if you know what I mean. These special tailor-made “salwar-kameez’ garments fit me splendidly!

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Let me turn a corner here and tell you this. I think my life and yours is designed and being made to fit us perfectly,  by a perfect tailor. One who knows us inside and out and doesn’t even need to collect any measurements, because He is the one who designed us. I know God is fitting me for a purpose and he is fitting things for me at the same time. What a grand design!

I really believe God knows us intimately and uses everything in our lives for our good.  I mean every thing. No wasted sleeves attached with a safety-pin to the “kameez” of our lives. Nope! He uses it all. Each circumstance, situation, trial that we live through or joy we experience is tailored for us. All of it is used to make us more like Jesus.

I don’t believe that God causes the hard things. He sure does use them though. Sometimes the hard things are a result of living in a fallen world. Other times its our own decisions or pain inflicted on us, or the choice of another that directly affects us. But I do know God uses it all. Nothing is wasted.

Whatever you are going through right now, God will make it fit you so that you are beautiful as you parade throughout the kingdom. He is for you not against you and he is fashioning us day by day. We can live lives of color and display his glory!

All things can work for us and make us wear the most beautiful tailor-made garment as we love God and minister to others.

You, dear reader, are dressed by him and ready to bless others. You lead a life of color and are fitted with his grace. Let your light so shine before men, that they see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. Matthew 5:16 And may your life and mine be ones of noticeably vibrant color!