A Modest Heart During Swim Season

Summer is fast approaching and these few words just give me the heebie-jeebies:

Swim Suit Shopping

Most people might think that as a competitive swimmer for years, I wouldn't have a problem with this. But here's the deal, apart from the fact that those cheap Target two pieces make me feel naked when compared to the heavy-duty polyester suits I wore because they lasted forever, modesty is a semi-new concept I'm trying to sort through.
I've learned a lot about it in the Her Hands class I'm taking, and well, my eyes have been opened. I've heard a couple of sermons about modesty also and was shocked to realize how hard it for guys not to think bad things when we girls dress inappropriately. It is a battle for them if they desire to honor the Lord. So, I want to help my brothers out.

It's hard though. It's summer and I want to wear short shorts and breezy shirts. But I don't think one should go about this modesty issue by following a set of rules and measuring stick.
We've got to ask ourselves while in the dressing room, or in our closets, "Why do I want to wear this? To gain his attention? To feel sexy? To show off some part of my body?"

In our Bible study, we read this 1 Timothy 2:9-10

"I also want women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God."

Maybe we're ignorant of the fact that what we wear affects guys in ways we can't imagine. Maybe we've never realized God not only values modesty, but also a heart that desires to serve others. There is so much more to modesty than just not wearing short shorts, skimpy bikinis, or low cut v-necks. It's a heart issue we've got to work through.

Until then, what's a girl to during swim suit season if she wants to be modest at the pool, but not look like her grandma? Because let's face it, the above picture is about as modest as Ariel got while in the water... which makes me sad because I loved The Little Mermaid. Heather (who leads the study) showed us the website called Lime Ricki. There are quite a few suits to choose from, and they are really cute and modest.

Heather is actually giving away a free suit this week, so if your interested check out her blog post. My favorites are Chloe, Charly, and Lucy. (Not shown below.) Check out the site for all their styles!