The Mess

God doesn’t work in a vacuum; based on the happenings in our daily lives, He works on us to perfection.Stephanie decided to sew a new dress for her little daughter; Mandy, to send to school. Mandy never repeated a dress in a term because her mother could sew. But for this new dress, she didn’t bother wearing it repeatedly as many as she could. She absolutely loved the dress! And it was surprising how no one will ever see Mandy in that dress and never talk about how beautiful the dress was and how well it fitted her.Stephanie studied accounting in the Hanson University of Business and came out with a first class degree but due to lack of employment, she decided to use the talent she had to make her home a happy one. She lived as a single mother since Mandy turned one; her husband had gone overseas and had cut ties with her. She sewed pretty dresses for children and with that, she was able to fend for Mandy’s education. She wanted her girl to have the best education and with that, she got a head start.Mandy’s teacher, Miss Tina, was busily preparing for the wedding of her elder sister as she was the head of the protocol unit for the wedding. She was relaxed in her chair, thinking of which asoebi style would be best to suggest to her friends when Mandy approached her in her favourite dress, for her to uncap her bottle for her during break time. Tina quickly got the idea! Mandy’s favourite and beautiful dress! She told Mandy she wanted to sew the exact style of her dress and asked if she could pose for a picture to be taken. Mandy agreed and the picture was taken. The seamstress for their asoebi, who had won several awards from the fashion industry, saw it too complicated to sew. She decided to measure only one of Mandy’s friends and give it a try but the dress became a mess in the end. She suggested they look for a different design to bring but they insisted on that same style. They tried different best fashion designers but they gave the same reply.Tina suggested to her friends if they would agree to give their materials to Mandy’s mother to sew for them. They asked who she was and Tina told them she was the one who sewed Mandy’s dress and she believes she can also do theirs for them. Mandy’s friends wanted a renowned fashion designer to sew their dresses rather than ordinary seamstress in a corner somewhere but after much persuasion, she was able to coax them. They all had wealthy backgrounds so they didn’t want anything below their standards.Miss Tina and her friends drove to Mandy’s home the next day since it was a Saturday and school sessions do not hold on weekends. The wedding was drawing near and she could not wait and waste time on people claimed to the best fashion designers but couldn’t sew Mandy’s dress. After discussing for a while, Stephanie agreed to sew the exact style they requested. She was afraid initially because she knew how the dress was sewn. Stephanie was beyond awe when Mandy told her she was going to be paid a sum which could pay twice her mortgage. The money was transferred into her account right away. She stood there with her mouth agape staring at Tina like a person with a temporomandibular joint dislocation who could not close her mouth. Their measurements were taken before they left.After they left, Stephanie could not stop rendering praises to God for what He has done. Her mortgage would be paid and she would get enough money for other things she may need. She also told God how she really needed Him to come through for her to be able to sew the dresses since it was by a mistake she was able to come up with that style.The laces were brought the following morning before she left for church by one of Tina’s friends. She started sewing on Monday, by making the same mistakes she made while sewing Mandy’s dress; cutting the lace to spoil the initial intended design to get the outcome she had for Mandy’s dress. The dresses were well tailored, perfect as though they were sewn by one the famous sewing companies. Stephanie didn’t sleep for days in her bed room till she was able to finish on Thursday, she had turned the clothing room to her bed room and slept less than five hours a day. She called Tina during the course of the day to tell her she was done. The sewn dresses were tried the next day by Tina and her friends. It fitted them perfectly! The wedding was in two weeks’ time, Tina and her friends were anxiously anticipating for the ceremony to wear their lovely dresses.The day everyone anticipated for had arrived. The wedding became the grist for the gossip mill, it was a classy one, and attended by the cream of the society since Tina’s family and the family of the groom all had wealthy backgrounds, both families had a lot of politicians among them. It was even captured in the newspapers. The Stitches; a weekly fashion journal, used Tina and their friends in their gorgeous asoebi for their front page. Their dresses got people talking, they were well tailored and beautiful. The ladies had posted them on their social media accounts and it soon went viral. A television fashion show titled the Mirror, where new fashion trends were talked about discussed the asoebi worn by the bride’s friends. A lot of fashion designers were interviewed, they all saw the dresses too complicated to sew and commended the one who sewed their dresses. Some even said they had tried but couldn’t. Sandra, one Tina’s friends who is a celebrity, was called during the program and asked questions concerning how they got their dresses sewn. She explained how Tina got Stephanie to sew them those gorgeous dresses.Stephanie was soon contacted for an interview on the Mirror fashion show. She explained how she made a mistake while sewing Mandy’s dress, cutting the cloth more than she should to get the new design. She was given a worktable and a cloth to make a sample of her mistake which turned a new style. She was a bit nervous as she knew the program was being telecasted. She prayed deep within her; telling the Holy Spirit to grant her the Grace to do it at ease. Stephanie did it so beautifully.She was soon recognized as one of the best fashion designers in the country and got a lot of people to support her works and give her a step up.She soon owned her own clothing line. She sewed clothes for most of the politicians in the country. She won many contracts because of how trustworthy and diligent she was; she sewed most of the government uniforms given to school children; sewed uniforms for army officials in the country and so on.Mandy also had the privilege of being enrolled to a better school than the one she attended; an international school community. Though the school she initially attended was a very good school, Jasper international community school was more classic and better than it; it was attended by wards of affluent people in the country.Stephanie didn’t forget who she was; she never forgot she was a daughter of a king; the daughter of God. Though she began to busy schedules each day, she still took time to talk with God and read His word each day. She took her walk with God more seriously despite her busy schedules.Modesty was her hallmark as Christian fashion designer. Never will one will bring a material for her to sew and suggest a style that is not modest such as a dress that exposes one’s cleavage or thighs and expect her to sew. Everyone knew her stand and worked with her based on her stand. Because people loved her works, despite her strict standard on the type of dresses she sewed; people made her sew their dresses for them. It made a lot of women in authority who dressed without decency start dressing with decency because she stitched most of their garments and since they were role models for most young ladies in the country, most young women began to learn to be modest in their dressing. Stephanie made a big impact on the youths through the fashion industry.Stephanie established a non-governmental organization where youngsters who had passion and talent in sewing were recruited and learnt to develop and sharpen their talent. She also brought them to the knowledge of Christ. They were all brought to the saving grace of Christ and they, also, promoted the gospel of Christ after completing their course and going back to where they decided to set up their own businesses.Stephanie’s collection became a household name and she was seen as a celebrity in the country. Due to this, she was given a listening ear anytime she spoke publicly, be it on social media platforms or any platform she found herself. She used this as an opportunity to draw a lot of people to Christ. Even people from other religions converted and came to the light of the world through her speeches. Through all of this, she always gave the glory.***************Dear reader, what is the mess you see yourself in and you feel God can’t lift you out? He surely can and He will; provided you’re sold out to Him just like Stephanie was. But don’t forget; God does not work in a vacuum. What has God placed in your hands? Don’t be idle and claim you’re waiting for Him. What are the talents and assignments God has placed in your hands to work on? Do so, if you’ve not started. God is going to turn every mess you find yourself in and around you into a message that will leave you to be struck dumb, you will be petrified yourself, just lean on Jesus; the author and finisher of our faith. Have you lost hope, then feel revived again.Just like Stephanie didn’t expect the fabric she made a mess of to turn out and bring a breakthrough for he r, God will turn every mess in your life into a message that will leave you awestruck. God is the best tailor and he can make your tattered life to be well tailored. Just hand over the fabric of your life to Him to sew a peculiar, wonderful and lovely style and garment out of your fabric. Your mess will turn to message just trust God.If you have not given your life to Christ for him turn every mess in your life into awesomazing testimonies and messages, please pray this prayer below.Dear Lord Jesus, please I’m a sinnerForgive me of all my sinsWash me in your blood and make me wholeCome into my life and cleanse meBe the Lord and personal saviour of my soulHoly Spirit, come and stay in me and be my best friendFrom today, I go forward ever and backward neverThank you Jesus for saving meIn Jesus name I have prayedAmenIf you have prayed this prayer, then you’re fortunate. Rest in God. Find a Bible believing church and be fully dedicated to God. Trust in God to turn your messes into awestrucking messages.**********What other lessons can you learn from Stephanie’s story? Please share them in the comment section below.
Have a nice weekend.