The ministry of modesty

E (you who don’t know him met him here) and I had a conversation on Monday and I said that it would be a good story to share with all of you because it would give you insight on the life I try to live, that is, balancing a religious life with a secular life, where I’ve been, where I am, etc. E agreed you guys will like this one.

We were talking about the fact that he was in Atlantic City with some friends Saturday night (they drove down after Shabbat ended, of course). Not to go into much detail (E doesn’t like it!) but he was in a new club at the Borgata and he was dancing with a girl. This young lady was wearing a shirt of some sort that must have barely been a shirt because E described it as something she would wear on the beach. He said that he was trying to avert his eyes while dancing with her but that with a shirt such as the one she was wearing it was difficult. He likened it to trying to not look directly into the sun.

This got me thinking. In my previous life (preconversion, that is) I frequented a lot of clubs. I also dressed immodestly at these clubs in an effort to draw attention to myself and succeeded much of the time. In more recent years, I have come to realize that dressing immodestly does nothing but lead men into sin. Why should I needlessly flaunt my body to someone who is not my husband, and thus, is not going to get to see or touch my body? Just as important to think about is, when one dresses immodestly, is a man really ever looking at you and interested in you or is he simply reacting to whatever “parts” you’re showing off? Think about this.

So when E told me about this young lady I immediately came up with an idea. What if I paid the cover charge to get into this club and I walked around with a bag of shawls and pashminas and I went up to all of the young ladies who were dressed immodestly and wrapped a shawl around them and shouted into their ear (over the din of the club of course) to please cover up so that they can save these parts of themselves to share with their husbands someday. E thought it could become my new ministry.

It’s funny to imagine, but really think about if I did something like this. How hated would I be in a place like that? I would be called a prude, for sure. I would be called other things too, I imagine. People would tell me to just stay out if I don't like it and let people live their lives. That's the first response people give when you are hitting them in a sinful or uncomfortable area. Who are they hurting, they would say? THEMSELVES, I would say. I know this for a fact because I was there. What if no one else is ever going to tell these girls how precious they are to God and they don't need a man to leer at them to feel beautiful? Not many, if any, people inside the club are going to remind them of that important fact. How long do you think it would be before I got kicked out, although, could you really kick me out for handing out free pashminas?

Lord, I pray that you can please help women in our society (especially younger girls) to realize how beautiful they are as they are. Please help them to know how much you love them and please fill them with a self-confidence that will allow them to dress modestly and with dignity and allow the radiating light of Your love be what draws people to them. Amen.