Fancy Shoes

Mr. Amazing had Friday off last week, and as always we planned to spend the day together running errands and just enjoying each others company. So as I always do on his days off, I spent a little bit more time getting ready in the morning. My choice for clothing was one of the outfits that he loves the most, a cute denim skirt and a neat top that I got off a clearance rack, and I completed the outfit with some really cute high-heeled sandals. I should note that these are some of the cutest shoes that I own, and this is the only outfit that they really go with. So, my husband loved it, it was modest yet stylish, and great for the shopping and stuff that we were planning to do.

And off we went. We ran most of our errands and then the girls asked if we could go to a play ground. Being the parents that we are, we of course said yes. We found a nearby park that had lots of equiptment. There were a few other moms their with their kiddos, but that just provides playmates for the girls so we weren't concerned. Ella needed to go potty. On the way to the bathroom, one of the other moms called over her shoulder to me "Mom's got cute shoes, but their not park shoes. You definitely can't play in the sand in those baby's." I was a bit speechless, but just smiled at her and kept walking - I did have a little girl in need of a potty after all. I tried to blow it off, but the comment just didn't sit right with me. On the way back over to the equipment, my dearest Ella took off running to her dad. I wasn't in a hurry, but was enjoying the warm weather and the break from my daughters over enthusiastic chatter when the same mom looked over and said, "Yeah, you can't even run in them." Then she turned to her own little boy and said loudly, "She can't even run after her daughter because she has fancy shoes on."

The comment hurt. Part of me wanted to say that I could if I wanted to. In fact, I had ran earlier that day just for fun as we were going into a store because my daughter wanted me to. I just didn't feel like it at the time. But I didn't. I just smiled and kept walking. I reached Mr. Amazing and our little girls, just as Alexa decided that she wanted to go over to where Ella and I had been (to the toddler portion of the equipment), so I went back with her. It was then that I noticed that every other mom that was there was in sweats. Not that that was a bad thing, but obviously there was a huge difference in the way that we looked. I started to wonder if that's what caused the comments from the lady in the pink sweats. I was the only one who had done anything other then throw my hair into a pony tail that morning. Of course I did this because my Mr. was home, but it obviously made me stick out. I was also the mom at the park that was accompanied by her husband. Being that it was a Friday, I'm certain that this was because all of their husbands have these glamorous 9-5 jobs and they work Monday - Friday each week and get the weekends off. That's not a luxury that we have in my home, but that's okay.

Anyway! The pink sweats lady's comments left me feeling uncomfortable, like I was less of a mom because I wasn't wearing park clothing. I almost felt the need to stand up and give a speech explaining to everyone there that we weren't really planning on going to the park that day, and that this was pretty much the closest thing that I would have to a date with my husband for a couple of months and that I dressed for him. But that would have been silly. I didn't need to justify myself to them. I was doing what God had called me to do. To be a wife, and to honor my husband. I'm not less of a mom because I took my daughter's to the park when I wasn't wearing park shoes. If anything, I'm more of a mom for not telling them no because I was wearing inappropriate shoes. But the real take-a-way that I believe God showed me through all of this, is that when we honor Him, when we live our lives for Christ, we should stick out. I don't know the spiritual state of any of the moms that were at the park, but the clothing choices left me with a great analogy. Just like I stuck out in my denim skirt and fancy shoes, so the believer should stick out when they are among a group of non-believers. Sticking out might make us uncomfortable at times, and people might make comments, but we have to lead the life that God has called us to live, especially when we stand out.

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