This year I had one of my desires come to pass through my love and passion of making clothes and dressing people. I always desired to make a young woman or women happy by designing and making a dress or dresses for them. I once emailed a huge email list/group I was in, that if they would contribute R10 or R20 each or buy fabric, we can look for young maticulant girls and I would design and make dresses for them at no profit to me but just out of love. Not even one of those people agreed with me. I guess they thougt I was looking to make a name or money for myself. But I believe that is not how God wanted it to be done. Or maybe it was not perfect timing.
We might take this gesture for granted or bring Romans 12:2 into perspective saying matric balls are things of the world forgettting that Jesus in John 17:15 said: "My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one." There is nothing evil about young people celebrating a passage in their lives at the final year of their secondary schooling by having a formal function or ball where they dress up to it. The only evil comes when sin becomes part of the ball. Remember there was The Great Banquet in Luke 14 where people who knew how to dress up were the initial invited guests to the celebration.
Ok now that I put the Word into perspective as my life is governed by the Word of God I wanted to share in my appreciation of God allowing me an opportunity to make dresses for two of His own daughters, Benni and Kealeboga.
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| Shy and Beautiful Benni |
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| An Epitome of Beauty |
I was asked by my fellow Children's Church Ministry teacher, Thobeka Gonxeka to make a dress for one of the girls at a shelter where she volunteers. The girl's name is Benni. A very humble and beautiful young girl. Thobeka had found people who paid for Benni's hair, nails and bought her shoes and one lady bought her fabric for the dress. A beatiful navy blue crushed tafetta and a white and silver sequened fabric. Benni came for measurements and showed me what kind of a dress she wanted and by the help of God I managed to make the dress she wanted.
It was so fulfilling making the dress and seeing Benni put it on and it fitted like it was made on her body. The feeling I had made me want to do more of that for other young girls. How I pray people can just be willing to do what Thobeka and her friends do every year. I heard God say: "It is just the beginning".
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| Shawl for Comfort to keep eyes off |
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| Not one but Two Happy Faces |
A week later I went to give a Motivational Speech for Best Man and Woman I Can Be Forum Seminar (under directorship of Lonwabo Maseko), in Daveyton. I met a mother and her son and daughter who came for the seminar. The mother, Linda told me she googled me the night before and she the asked me to make a dress for her daughter Kealeboga, The Word of God says:
"Ask it shall be given." Without going into detail why Mama Linda asked me for that I agreed willingly and God reminded me of a brand new pair of shoes I never wore. How God-incidental that Kealeboga is the same size shoes as me.
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| What else to ask for than a Happy Teenager |
I made Kea (Kealeboga) a black short dress with draping chains at the back and a kind of sequened front. She had requested me to make her a mini dress. She came with her mom to get he dress and she was so excited at how it really was what she wanted and the shoes fitted her as well. I was so overjoyed and bubbly inside by the excitement and joy on the mother and daughter's faces. Mama Linda also brought me a bucket of cookies specially baked for me, my fiance Paul and our families. Like she knew I am a sucker for home-baked cookies.
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| The Face of JOY |
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| Kea could not stop Posing for pictures |
I know the Word that says:"
"Take heed that you do not do
your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have
no reward from your Father in heaven. 2 Therefore, when you do a
charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do
in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men." Matthew 6:1-2
I am not boasting about my charitable deeds but I am sharing the experience of God-given joy I felt by doing something I was not getting paid for. I enjoyed it more than a thousand rands or more I would have received from a client. The thought of a lifetime happy moment in the girls' memories and those related to them felt like a needed continuous dose of joy for my survival. I write this with the hope that you too will do something for no cost for somebody else. Above all, All this glory goes to God.
Two strangers' memories of God coming to their moment of need and my memory of happy faces through God using me as a vessel of His answers.
ForeverFaith Couture
"Designed To Fit You"
I had the most dresses to design for Matric balls in this year as compared to previous years. I already made two dresses, one for Kealeboga and another for Benni (see previous posts). I also made one for a gorgeous young girl called Tiisetso whom I will share the experience of making her dress later. I just
