Today I helped the absolute cutest girl outfit her mission. She found so many cute, colorful, happy outfits. She wanted to dress to match her personality.
The challege? Covering her tattoos.
She didn't fit the mold of most girls who come in the front door of The Sister Shop looking for clothes, shoes and accessories for their missions. But that doesn't mean she was any less worthy or ready and willing to serve. When I first saw her, I'll admit, she didn't strike me as someone preparing for a mission. As I talked with her and got to know her a little bit I saw someone who was excited and a little bit overwhelmed with the idea of leaving for 18 months. I saw someone who was a happy & bright light. Someone who could relate to many people because of her past. Someone who was leaving home for 18 months to teach others about Christ. His love for them and His Atonement.
I recently read Al Fox Carraway's blog post about how she hated how everyone called her "The Tattooed Mormon" (you can read it here, it's incredible. alfoxshead.blogspot.com/2015/08/i-hate-tattooed-mormon.html) This is what she had to say about making people fit in 'molds' or judging someone because of their past.
"Calling me the tattooed Mormon is hardly any different than calling someone else the “used to smoke Mormon,” or the “I used to look at pornography Mormon.” Let me be clear, I am not saying tattoos are next to those sins, but I am saying that it is referring people by who they no longer are and by what they are no longer doing and a part of. And why would anyone ever want to do that? We most definitely would not like it if others did that to us. Because of repentance, because of Christ and His atonement, to God my tattoos are not just something He chooses to overlook, because they in reality do not even exist at all. That is what the atonement is. That is what the gospel does for us."
It's easy to put people in boxes. To label them. To judge them based on first impressions or how they look. But we don't know peoples stories. Their past. Al Carraway put it perfectly,
"Let us move past the fact I have tattoos. Let us move past the fact that there are people in your ward that have a different journey than you with different lessons. Let us move past the fact that there is a lot of crazy stuff happening in the world, with even crazier opinions and viewpoints and changes. Let us refocus on why we are here and what we need to be doing. Let us refocus on Christ and His compassion He showed to absolutely everyone and His dedication to returning to our Father in Heaven. Let us have compassion and eternal motives behind every thought and action. Move forward with a brightness of hope and a new mindset and perspective and a whole lot of love and understanding."
That truly is the beauty of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Love. Understanding.
Let's break the mold. Let us treat others how Christ would treat them.
As stated in my last blog post about the first day of school (sistershopboutique.blogspot.com/2015/08/the-first-day-of-school.html), you don't have to "fit a mold" to shop here. You don't have to be a missionary, have a call, be a member. We are here to help your typical woman find modest clothing but still look and feel beautiful. Modesty does not equal drab.
That's another mold we can break.
Modest = Cute, Classy, Fun, Happy, Tailored, Chic, Timeless.
That cute missionary I helped today was all of those things.
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