Market Dresses in God’s Plan

“For the LORD Almighty has purposed, and who can thwart him? His hand is stretched out, and who can turn it back?” Isaiah 14:27, NIV.

When I found out that I would be hosting a group of women from the United States for a tour in a restricted part of the Pacific Rim. I wanted new pictures of my grandchildren, Silvia and Sophie*, to take with me. Finding the time to dress up two little girls for portraits is never easy. I called my daughter, Helen, on the phone and said, “Whatever it takes, I really want pictures of the girls to take with me on my trip.”

Helen’s work schedule didn’t allow for her to get the portraits done, so she asked her home child-caregiver, Jess, to take the girls for her. Jess is a fellow church member, godly woman, and great family friend. Jess picked out what she thought were nice outfits. She dressed the girls up and took them to Wal-Mart to have their photo made.

Jess knows the Bible and is a woman of faith and encouragement. She has spent hours reading to and playing with the girls. Jess has never been married nor had children of her own, so when it came to preparing two young girls for a portrait, she inadvertently missed a few steps.

First off, instead of picking out new, matching outfits, she picked two sun dresses and other frilly clothes from the dress-up bin. Of course, she may have had some help from the girls on the dress selections. With brushed hair, ragged parts and mismatched hair clips, she happily drove the girls to Wal-Mart for picture time.

When Helen got home from work and saw the picture that Jess had gotten made of the girls, her heart sank. The photo was not at all what she had pictured or planned. Having no time to redo, she popped the pictures in a mailer and sent them off. Later, she called me to tell me the story. 

The day before I left on my trip I got the pictures. It so happened that the dresses from the dress-up bin were ones I had purchased in a market of the very country where I was taking this group of women prayerwalking. Although my daughter was not happy about the choice of dresses, I was thrilled. Not only was this a terrific memory of the age and stage of my grandchildren, but I knew that I would see the woman who had sold me those dresses, and now I could show her my grandchildren wearing them.

When I looked closer at one of the pictures, there it was. The Bible, God’s word, opened up on the laps of my two precious grandchildren. What a tremendous gift! What a presentation that neither I nor my daughter could have ever planned.

Just as I thought, I found the woman in her stall. She was so excited to see the picture of the girls, and even more excited when I gave her one of the pictures to keep. I also left the woman with a New Testament. I explained to her, as best I could, that this book was very special to me and made me and my granddaughters very happy, and that I would send a friend to explain the book to her.

After prayerwalking the market, as we were leaving I could see the picture of my granddaughters displayed in the shop of the dress seller. I thanked God that He could even use dress-up clothes in His grand plan!

*Names changed for security reasons.

Pray that:

God will use a photo and Bible as part of His design to bring a dress seller to faith in Christ.

The Gospel will be established in the city of this dress seller.

Believers visiting this area of the Pacific Rim will water the seeds planted and that God will bring a great spiritual harvest among this people group.

Pacific Rim is a region of the International Mission Board, SBC.