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Dream Dress for a Sweet Heart
It seemed perfect. But was the price too high?

by Linda Riley

Family Sunday at our church is a monthly service that includes kids. During announcements, we have an "award ceremony" where children's accomplishments, great and small, are recognized.

We have honored a boy who rescued a drowning child from a pool; a 12-year-old whose team won the state girls' softball championship; three little girls for being helpful big sisters to their new baby brother, and many others for good attitudes and kind behavior.

The children are given a big hand, an award certificate, a badge of honor and a present, usually a new toy.

One particular month, ten-year-old Frances was selected to receive a "Sweet Heart Award." Frances makes homemade cards for folks. Her ready smile and cheerful greetings give no hint of how tough her young life has been.

Since she lives with her unemployed grandparents, and was unable to buy new school clothes, I wanted to give Frances a new dress. But I hesitated. A dress would cost more than the usual gift and might make others jealous. Still, I was certain the gift for Frances should be a new dress.

On Saturday, my teenage shopping expert, Amanda, and I went shopping for Frances. We instantly spotted the dress: sweet, pretty, with blue sunflowers on a pale blue background, and just Frances's style.

The dress was perfect. The price tag wasn't.

Reluctantly, we perused the sales rack but kept returning wistfully to the blue dress. Eventually, we not only bought the blue dress, but also a blue sunflower hair clip to match. Amanda and I went home pleased with our good taste.

My husband, Jay, saw the dress and predicted impending doom. Inwardly quaking, I put on a brave face and said, "Jesus is happy about this dress and so am I. If someone gets mad at me, I'm still going to be happy for Frances."

He gloomily said he'd pray for me. I almost backed out, but it was too late to shop for anything else.

A blue sunflower day
Sunday morning, I faked complete confidence while presenting Frances with her certificate, badge of honor, a hug, and a speech about the kind things she says and does. Then I handed her the gift box.

She pulled the dress out for everyone to see. "Ooohs" and "aaahs" filled the room. Then everyone started laughing and clapping because Frances's face shone with delightful amazement. She found her grandma's tear-filled eyes in the congregation. Frances skipped back to her, dress in hand, saying, "God is so good to me."

Later, Frances and her grandma couldn't wait to tell me they also had gone shopping on Saturday morning, for a new dress to wear to a family wedding. Just an hour before Amanda and I went shopping, Frances had spied the dress she wanted. She tried it on and loved it, but the price was too high.

Frances valiantly returned the dress she really wanted and headed for the sale items. She thanked her grandma and forgot about that dress—one with pretty blue sunflowers. But Jesus remembered.

Later, Jay said that if the only good thing we ever did in our church was to buy that dress for Frances, it would be enough. He also said he would trust my shopping decisions from now on.

I thanked God that he knew the desire of a young girl's heart and used me in a small way to make it happen.

A Christian Reader original article.

Copyright © 1999 by the author or Christianity Today International/Today's Christian magazine (formerly Christian Reader).
Click here for reprint information.

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