PUT YOUR UNIFORM ON

I confess I am an addicted "People Watcher".  Name the venue or the group--I love to sit and watch and observe.  It is often VERY enlightening.  

I live in a very busy part of FW--with the added busyness of a GREAT DEAL of foot traffic.  After all, I am on the edge of a college campus and apartments and houses with college students are all around me.  Once I finally clued in on how to sleep through the night and drown out the noise at ALL HOURS--it has been pretty fascinating to live here in the midst of it all.

We recognize people by the uniforms they wear.  A policeman, a fireman, a city employee, a doctor/nurse, a soldier, a postman, the list goes on and on.  The employees of TCU all wear purple---I sometimes think I live on "Purple Street".  They are building many buildings on the campus---all the construction workers wear hard hats and safety vests.  I recognize who is walking by me by what they have on--their uniforms.

As I have watched and observed, I made a fascinating discovery--the college co-eds also wear a uniform.  It comes in the form of black tights and over-size (As In Almost A Tent) tees in pastel colors.  It seems to be the universal college co-ed uniform.  Occasionally I will see a female dressed differently---I always think-  FRESHMAN!  For the most part, the girls are taking the easy way out--and throwing on their uniform to attend class.  I wonder how many of them attended high schools that required uniforms and they SWORE they would NEVER wear another uniform.  

There is something to be said for wearing uniforms.  We conform--fit in--become part of the group.  It also takes ALL the second guessing out of "Am I wearing the right thing?"  Why I have even noticed a uniform worn by the young moms when picking up the boys from pre-school.  It is called work out clothes.  I must admit I have been guilty on occasion of doing the same thing when picking them up.  It identifies what we have been doing that morning.

I am NOT uniform bashing---I think it is great!  I must admit though that I look at these young co-eds with shirts on that totally hide any shape they might have and laugh to myself.  I would LOVE to tell them--this is as good as it is ever going to be---you will NEVER look better--DO NOT hide it under a sack!

I put on my uniform every day also---it has a breastplate, a shield, a sword--a full set of armor to face each day.  It is a great comfort and gives me a spirit of peace to know God is providing my uniform each and every day.

Today I find joy in the uniform of the day

the full set of God's armor

and I am thankful.

"13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God."

Ephesians 6:13-17