I recently met Stephanie online and was intrigued with her story.
She graciously shared her testimony with me and gave me permission to share it with you...
My parents were raised Mennonite and grew up near Lancaster Pennsylvania in the heart of the Amish community. Horse drawnbuggies and men with wide brim straw hats with a thick black band around the crown were a common everyday sighting. Women and girls dressed in plain almost uniform like attire including a plain cape dress of a dark color with no frills or buttons. Placed on their heads, covering their smooth bun of hair was a plain heart shaped kapp with two strings hanging on either side of their face. I often remember thinking to myself that they seemed like such beautiful and graceful creatures as they labored alongside the men in the community working hard and late and yet always full of a calm spirit full of Grace and compassion.
I did not grow up Mennonite I was adopted by my parents who by that time had changed to a more Reformed Baptist/Presbyterian approach to faith and religion. We did not wear the clothes of the Mennonites or Amish and we did not cover our heads either. As a child my hair was usually shoulder length or shorter and even though I liked the idea of long beautiful hair I did not want to make the effort to keep it up and looking nice.
After moving away from home and marrying a wonderful man I began to think on and off about the idea of covering my head again. First Corinthians called to me and I read it over and over feeling the pull of the Holy Spirit telling me to be obedient and cover my head at least during church services. I ignored the conviction as long as I could, telling myself that head covering was a cultural practice from the past and an outdated law of the ceremonial law. I told myself that a woman's hair is her natural covering so I didn't need another covering. Then a thought hit me, 'First Corinthians tells us that if a man is to wear a covering during prayer and worship it is a shame to him and men today still take off their hats to pray...Men in the church today do not go to church with bald shaven heads to avoid bringing shame on themselves by having it covered with hair...No they remove their hats or hoods on coats out of respect and submission to Christ...If Paul is telling men to remove their coverings for prayer and worship and telling women to cover their heads why am I not obeying?" The answer was so clear right in front of my eyes. The original Greek word for covering and hair is different thus doing away with the idea that a woman's hair is "covering enough". We follow other commands in the bible from even earlier written time frames then when Paul wrote Corinthians, if we hold to the belief that the whole word of God is alive and relevant and a command to follow to this day this includes head covering in my opinion.
I decided to try wearing a covering at home as a sign of submission to my husband and also my Father in Heaven. I ordered a small round lace veil and wore it to church for the first time two Sundays before Christmas. Not only did I feel a deeper sense of obedience to God but I felt a hand on my head as a father would place a reassuring hand on the head of a child both to calm and protect and show love. At home I began to wear the coverings more and more. I noticed that arguments between my husband and I became less verbally violent and I was given a calmer gentler spirit. My husband noticed the difference also and commented on it. When I place the head covering on my head there is no magical sorcery that happens. There is not a sense of "holier than thou" or an air of disdain for those who do not cover. I do not believe that covering the head is necessary for salvation and entrance into heaven. I cannot deny however, the gracious spirit and calm countenance that the Holy Spirit has given me since starting to cover my head. I cannot deny the peace and safety I feel in the discipline of covering my head. The covering no longer feels heavy and embarrassing when I wear it in public, rather it feels like my earthly crown marking me as a daughter of Christ and my wedding veil as a part of the church who is the Bride of Christ. When I place it on my head it is a joy to wear it knowing that it is a reminder to submit myself to His will and His plan and it is a helpful tangible reminder to me to know that He is watching and caring for me and that I belong to Him.
Thank you Stephanie!
