My Journey to Modesty and Covering

I thought now might be a good time to share this with you.

I was raised in a home that attended church about 75% of the time, so not bad. We have always attended a Lutheran church, but we started out in the Missouri Synod and then ended up where we are now, ELCA, when the pastor left. For those who aren’t that familiar with the “synods”, there are three main synods, Wisconsin, Missouri and Evangelical Lutheran Church of America. They are the most conservative to the most liberal in the order listed.

While I was in grade school my mom was fairly conservative with what my sister and I could wear, she didn’t like jeans that were “pasted” to us or shirts that were too high (belly shirts) or those that dipped too low. Of course, the school dress code helped address some other things such as length of shorts/skirts, and sleeves on shirts, but I think my mom wouldn’t have allowed sleeveless shirts to school and then mini-skirts were always a no-no in her standards. As we got older, we pushed her a little bit, but she never gave in (my sister pushed more than I did). I was one of those people who did not wear anything that was “in-style” at the time of it being “in-style”. Yes, I was difficult!

Since 8th grade, I have had a fascination with the Amish and Mennonites. It started with just reading books about them (fictional mostly), then visiting Lancaster in June 2008. After that visit, I started to try to “figure out” their doctrine more and more. Eventually, I came to headcovering and realized that it was something in the Bible (my mom had always said it was cultural) and I felt convicted. So in February 2009 I bought my very first covering. I went straight in…getting a traditional round covering. In May-ish, when I moved back home from school I decided to buy a veil so that it would be less awkward around my parents whom I hadn’t told anything to as of yet. Eventually, my mom saw my “Amish hat” and was mortified by it; I’m still not allowed to tell family that I believe in headcovering because it’s so awful. Well around the time I started to move home is when I joined two Yahoo! groups to support other Christian women who felt called to headcover. One member on there provided me with multiple scripture references to modesty and from that point I agreed on modesty. The initial problem was, are pants considered modest if they are baggy enough? I eventually decided not and began to wear skirts all the time in early June 2009. My mom still doesn’t like it and when I was going to help get a Christmas tree for my boyfriend's family, she told me I wasn’t allowed to leave the house in a skirt – it was too cold and to go picking a Christmas tree out in a skirt was absolutely silly. So I deal with that and her “you know what I would tell you to wear” when I ask for ideas of clothes to wear when I’m substitute teaching (she’s referring to pants).

Since June, I have worn pants a few times, but mostly not by choice, it’s mostly been my mom and dad telling me that I’m not allowed to do a certain activity in a skirt so I must go change. I have put away all my jeans though and so my pants are now sweatpants which are baggy so I feel a little more modest than I did in my jeans, but still not as modest as I do in my skirts.

Currently, I lean towards my solid chapel veil, but I also like my cecily veils too. My skirts are all at least knee length, but the majority of them are mid-calf. I am definitely not plain, but I do my best to dress in a way that I feel the Lord would approve.

Blessings in Christ,