Friday Fix: Overexposure

Spring has definitely sprung! Not only are leaves and blooms bursting forth, but so are body parts. Everywhere.

Wha?

You read right and you know you’ve noticed it too. It’s the annual breaking out of all things trampy, I mean, skimpy. . . er, that provide less coverage. Which leads me to the “fix” of this Friday’s Fix.

Modesty. That’s the fix.

But Ms. Friday-Fix-Holier-Than-Thou-Snooty-Pants, I’ve worked darn hard to get this body and by golly I’m gonna show it off! And furthermore, a ‘fix’ implies something is wrong, thus requiring fixing. (DUH!) So just what exactly is the problem to begin with? Humph!

In a word, Distraction. In a lot more words, stumbling block, leading into sin, etc., but we’ll just go with distraction right now, as it applies to any communication, interaction, or generally public situation.

My heart welled up with empathy the other day as I read a comment from a pastor’s wife expressing how hard it was for her to pray with her husband and a woman seeking prayer at the alter, when mere inches away from her face this woman’s bosom was threatening to spill forth in front of God and everyone—including her husband.

The communication situation? Prayer—the purest form of communication there is. The distraction? Um, have you been paying attention AT ALL?

Result of communication? Static-y, at best. Imagine the psychological noise. From the oblivious woman, “Oh Lord, thank you for these people lifting up my petitions before your throne…” From the Pastor: “Oh Lord, shield me from the vision before me. I’ve tried so hard to be an overcomer of the flesh and yet here’s more splayed out before your throne…” From the Pastors’ wife: “Oh Lord, convict her to cover up before I further splay out her flesh before your throne…”

I’m not entirely placing blame—some folks really have no clue they’ve crossed the line of appropriateness. (Wow. Good thing for Friday Fix educatin’ n’ stuff.)

But you know what? Many do and do it anyway. Or do it because it crosses the line of appropriateness. If you want to be respected and taken seriously in your interactions—by men AND women—don’t be one of those.

Before you leave the house, check the mirror. Bend over facing front. Everything stay covered? If not, how ‘bout a nice tank top underneath? Now, bend over with a rear view. Everything stay covered with many inches to spare? If not, change. And boldly file the removed item in the trash or recycled dust cloth box.

But only if you want to be respected and taken seriously. You don’t want your attire (or lack of) to distract people from who you really are or want to be or want to convey. (And really, who ever says, “Man, I aspire to be trampy, I mean skimpy, er. . . less covered!”)

And you SURE don’t want it to be a hindrance for others in their relationships with other people or with God. If you do, then that’s way more of an issue than I can handle here on the Fix.