Quality comes with a price, and some things are worth the extra time and money, including bras. No, I did not return to Victoria’s Secret in pursuit of undergarments.
I opted for a department store, but I still experienced sticker shock, even with a half-price sale and deep discounts for being a credit card holder. Perhaps I should have checked the price tag before standing in line for 20 minutes at the checkout. Instead, I let out a semi-silent gasp at the foot-long receipt the clerk placed in the bag.
I’m not sure how long it’s been since my last bra purchase, but the time had come. In the past three years with radiation, chemo, immunotherapy, gamma knife surgery, and targeted gene therapy, my entire body has changed.
In addition to losing weight, one loses muscle mass. I feel weaker. I can tell when I knead those enormous pans of flour and water, attempting to transform these simple ingredients into bread.
I am delighted with my new firm foundation. I had no idea how uncomfortable an ill-fitting bra could be until I made a move to change. That discomfort reminded me of the recent turn of events in my life — divorce, moving, cancer, and giving up a life’s dream.
My current life seems uncomfortable and hopeless, like a house after an earthquake has struck. I was waiting for it to crumble into nothingness with the next strong wind, as you know — a regular occurrence in North Dakota.
New undergarments from toe to top change the way a person looks, affecting how someone acts and others react in response. That goes for more in life than new spandex and lace.
Firm support under a new sweater dress makes for a smooth silhouette. Stretchy fabrics, not weakened from washing, hug your rib cage. Smaller cups provide lift to the area affected by gravity.
As anyone in the fashion industry knows, what goes on first can make or break an outfit. The same could be said about life. What, or rather who, comes first in your life?
I will be looking for a new home in the new year. One important thing to consider when moving into a house is the basement. You wouldn’t want to buy the most beautiful home only to find out the concrete walls have crumbled or allow moisture to seep in and cause instability, and make the house unsafe.
Is your life on solid ground? Have you sought out quality in your life, perhaps paying a price now and again for your beliefs?
When life abruptly changes, and you are forced to make decisions you never anticipated, what’s keeping you from crashing and burning?
So it goes with your life. I do not believe I could have passed through the storms of life without my faith in Jesus. There’s a song we sing with a line that reads, “The church’s one foundation is Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Investigating the song and its meaning, I learned that Jesus is the cornerstone of the church’s foundation, but he is not the entire basement. We all play an integral role in holding up a church family.
We, as disciples, can be part of holding up the church. Not just in the sense of a physical building, but as a family. We pray for each other, guide and advise our brothers and sisters, and uphold those who have less than us by sharing what God has blessed us with on a daily basis.
Like a good bra, we can surround our friends with hugs and support. We can lift someone from the darkness by being the light in their life.
Yes, there are days when my feet slip, and I feel like falling and never getting up, but…
Somehow, if I open my eyes, I see and feel something unshakable, very steady, and rock solid in life. It’s you, your prayers, and support. My footing, which cannot be seen with the naked eye, is based on Romans 8:28 — “All things work for good for those who love God and are called according to his purpose.”
Be a rock for someone today — pray, share, hug, love, smile, give freely.
INDYchildrendotme 
Leave a comment