Dear readers, I recently took a chance on a shorter dress at a thrift store. When I say short, I mean to my knees. I’m one of those ladies who hates my legs, so I’m constantly hiding them with pants, capris and leggings.

But friends, Sunday was hot. I mean — hot! We went to the beach and I dutifully wore my capris just above my ankles — and I was boiling.

So, when I got home, I pulled the teal dress with brown and blue flowers out of the laundry and put it on. You could see my calves, for goodness sakes! And my whole arms! What on earth would anyone in public think of a lady baring her non-slender limbs!

But you know what my husband said when I showed him the $2 dress? “You look so cute!”

I even went to get groceries after — and no one said a thing. Bare legs and all.

I am writing this to you today to let you know that if you have “problem areas” like I do — people probably are not staring at them. Maybe they really aren’t “problem areas” at all. Maybe you and I are just being a bit too hard on ourselves and suffering through the unbelievable heat in parkas and cover ups for no good reason.

While the Bible often mentions modesty and dignity in dress and actions, I don’t think that equates to God saying we should be ashamed of our bodies. God doesn’t see our “problem areas” either in the physical or the spiritual when he looks at us — he looks at us and sees his children and loves us deeply with love we cannot fully fathom.

However, there is a Bible verse that singles women out on what they should be wearing. In Proverbs 25, we are told what a godly woman clothes herself in: strength and dignity. Our bodies have done some amazing things. They have gotten us all through this life, no matter what it has thrown at us. They have done some incredible work; they have shared love through smiles and hugs; some of them have survived horrible illnesses and lived to tell the tale. To those of us who are mothers, they have grown children and delivered them into the world, and proceeded to carry out the duties of parenting them as they grow.

What is there to be ashamed of in that?

Maybe we aren’t super models. Maybe we’ve got some stretch marks or cellulite — maybe some scars or other things we think of as imperfections. But we must remember that we are full of grace from our Father. It’s ok to share a little bit of that grace with ourselves, too. Don’t stress about the dress. But most importantly, remember to put on your strength and dignity before you head out the door — they’re necessary accessories and they’ll make your outfit shine.