Someone asked me recently, via a blog comment, what I think of cape dresses. I would love to know what brought this on, but no explanation was given.
(These are dresses with an extra piece of fabric over the bodice, from shoulder to waist, required by many Amish and Mennonite churches, for modesty and uniformity.)
I guess I think of them the same that I think of a lot of other things such as refrigerators, crayons, dogs, and many more temporal things: they can be good and useful as long as you expect them to do only what they are able to do.
I used to wear cape dresses back in the day and never liked them, primarily because I could never get them to fit right, no matter how much fussing and fiddling and fitting I did. It was very frustrating. I really didn't need them for modesty because I always wore bulletproof polyester double knit and didn't have any shape to speak of, and the capes always looked floppy from the side. And I wished I could buy my clothes. So I had a nasty opinion of capes.
But now neph Byran's wifelet Amy comes along with the most chic, pretty, classy cape dresses ever, and she doesn't even have to sew them herself--I think she buys them locally there in Pennsylvania--and I think, ok, it wouldn't be hard to wear capes like that.
Ultimately, modesty proceeds out of your heart, and if it's not there to start with, a cape can't put it there. But once the heart is taken care of, I could see where a cape could be helpful.
And if you decide to be part of a church that requires them, you should wear them without a big fuss. That's sort of basic.
Quote of the Day:
"OOHH! I wish they were ugly!"
--what a relative of mine thinks when some people gush on and on about their grandchildren
Dorcas - How happy I was to stumble upon your blog through a link from another blog. You may not remember me but I was serving as the NYP receptionist while you and Paul were at Round Lake. At that time I thought we must be 10-15 years apart - I was single & foolish and you were a mature wife, mother of 3, and a missionary. Well I am a '67 model so I guess there wasn't that much of a diff. Suddenly I reaize how much I missed by not getting to know you better then. I am relishing all your posts with amusement and identification - I have 7 children ages 2-14 and my husband is an over the road truck driver. I try to homeschool and run our trucking business. So life is full of "the shoe" feeling:) Thanks for your honesty and obvious love of life in your writing. The JOY of Jesus shines through your woven tales of everydayness and I love the realness that exudes through it all. God bless you as you keep your candle burning for Him!
ReplyDeleteOh and if you want to ever communicate with me - my e-mail follows.
ReplyDeletewell it was supposed to follow but anyway mmhorst@horsttrucking.com
ReplyDelete"bullet proof polyester double knit" Oh how well I remember! And shudder! Pauline
ReplyDelete'Wifelet' should be in the dictionary it is such a wonderfully descriptive word:) SuEllen
ReplyDelete