participating in public school: fashion bullies

soon after our pocket slapping incident we moved on to fashion bullies!

a girl in katie's class was ruthless regarding her opinion on katie's clothing.. "those two colors don't go together, you need high heels and mini skirts, your gym shorts and msu shirt aren’t cool (a serious offense in this house :) etc..etc" even to the point where this girl brought a magazine for katie to order some clothes out of. this girl informed katie that her mom was some fashion guru and she was educated when it came to clothes. katie, being very gracious, took the magazine and told this clothes princess that she would talk to her parents about it.... ugh.

 lots of tears were shed. both on her part and mine. security in body image and clothes are VERY important to me for our girls. personally, at her age i didn’t give a hoot what other people thought about me and my clothes, just ask my mother, siblings, and husband :) (julia is following nicely in my footsteps :) maybe that comes with birth order. but i was going to wear what i was going to wear, and so what if you thought it was ugly or unfashionable, i would hit you with my jelly shoes :) but not katie, she is a first born and has more style sense then i do. i have worked very hard at making her feel comfortable in her own skin, and have been very particular about not making her wear clothes that don't make her feel confident. So, this was a very personal attack for katie. after several of these interactions i contacted the teacher to have her step in and work some things out. she was fabulous about it! Before, i had contacted the teacher the assigned seating was rearranged and this young lady was now sitting right next to katie. i thought, "oh no, katie is going to hear about her clothes everyday all day long now"... i was really worried and did the only thing i knew how to do... i prayed! and prayed! and prayed! everyday i asked about our fashion guru.. and with each passing day things got smoother and smoother.

We spent lots of time talking about the importance of taking care of yourself, but not becoming obsessed with our bodies, our clothes, our health, etc. “everything in moderation,” I kept telling Katie. It’s not about the fashionable clothes you wear (or don’t wear ;) it’s about the condition of your heart!” Mark spent lots of good time with her affirming the truth in her about who she is to us, and more importantly who God says she IS. She has been made in the image of the almighty creator of the world, He formed her while she was growing in my belly, He made her specifically, and intricately, no detail was overlooked. She has been FEARFULLY and WONERFULLY made. Katie, took it in stride, just like the pocket slapping incident.
A few weeks later Katie had won a lunch date with her teacher because she had earned so many class dollars. She was allowed to bring one friend… the friend? Of course, the fashion guru. After their lunch together this little girl turned to Katie and said, “you are the sweetest friend I’ve ever had!” I mean really people, I couldn’t make this stuff up. Once again, by the grace of God, our daughter is being used to bring forgiveness and friendship into a little classroom on the hill that desperately needs Jesus.

Two months later and we are already considering sending Julia next year to school.  We are seeing each day the growth in Katie, our relationship with Katie, and all of our growth in our walk with Jesus. Does this happen ONLY for people in public school? NO WAY! But it’s REALLY special to our hearts that God saw our wrestling with this decision and our utter dependence on Him, and has blessed us in ways we never knew existed.

Tonight, Katie is in a play. Did I tell you that?  And while she stands on the stage quoting her lines after weeks of diligent practice, I will ooze with pride. Not because she is some fashion guru, or child actor in the making, but because she has represented her Jesus so incredibly sweetly in the face of huge changes and a stung heart. We have much to celebrate!!

~s

here she is being very unfashionable :)