Favor

What shall I wear to the funeral? I pondered. I took out every dress that was black or mostly black from my closet. One by one they were dismissed: too long, too short, didn’t fit right, too thin, too heavy. (What do you wear when it’s not quite Spring, but no longer Winter?) I told my husband I didn’t know what to wear to his brother’s services. “Do you need to buy something?” he surprised me by asking. I told him no, that I had plenty of dresses. Then the thought occurred to me that it wouldn’t hurt to see what was out there, especially with the winter clearance sales going on.

I entered the store with low expectations, and I was pretty much right. I needed a serious, no-nonsense dress, yet one that I at least liked. Maybe like a suit, or something with a jacket (but not a full skirt to blow in the wind) in a dark or black fabric. Nothing was appropriate. Then I saw a two-piece outfit with a straight skirt, kind of like a suit, but pretty and feminine in brown. That might work! And it was priced ridiculously low, with another 20 per cent off that! It was a size smaller than I usually wear, but it looked like it would fit. I tried it on and was pleasantly surprised: it looked better on than it had on the hanger. The label in the jacket read “Sweet Suit”. I liked that.

But I would have to have brown shoes! The only thing about wearing a dress to a funeral is that dresses call for high heels, which are not practical in the cemetery, and boots would not go with the outfit. Looking through a stack of shoe boxes, I saw a pretty pair of wedge heels in brown leather. They felt sturdy and comfortable and would be practical as well as attractive. I had found my whole outfit for half the price of a dress! Going into Walmart for stockings, I saw their pajamas on sale for $2.50! I picked up a soft pair of cotton knit with a black and white pattern of tiny hearts. Right for now or summer, they were perfect for our trip.

The changeable weather was warm and windy for the services, but the dress was cool and light weight. A few hours later when we got out of the car the temperature had dropped, and I was glad I had brought a coat for the trip home. The Lord had provided for us so beautifully, smoothing out details like clothing and travel, leaving us free to commemorate the well-lived life of the loved one we held so dear. It was a fond farewell to one we would see “in the morning.”