Dress Distress

When I was in high school, I was chosen to participate in a fashion show for an annual school event. I knew that the coordinator would choose dresses that were not modest, so I told her that I would not participate if the dress I had to wear was immodest. She said that would be all right.

When my friends and I went to check out our dresses, I was confused. Despite what the coordinator had told me, all the dresses were the opposite of the dress and appearance standards in the For the Strength of Youth booklet. Because it seemed like there was no solution, I tried on one of the immodest dresses. I wanted to look pretty, but when I wore that dress, I didn’t feel like myself. I wondered, “How would I feel in the Lord’s presence in this kind of dress?”

I thought about how I could get out of this situation. Finally, I found my older sister’s prom dress, which did meet the Lord’s standards. When I told my friends that I would use my own dress, I could tell from their facial expressions that they thought I would look better in the immodest dress. Fortunately, the coordinator said it was OK to wear the modest one.

I was relieved, and I felt confident. I didn’t care what my friends thought. I found a way to participate with a gorgeous and modest dress. I was grateful that I had the courage to keep my standards high, especially when it was not easy or popular.

Jessika S., Indonesia