Blessed to Bless! by Steve Klusmeyer
Alligators on Cheap Shirts
by Mike Collins
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Back when I was in school my friends and I, along with every other teenager, tried our best to dress as cool as possible. As I recall, there were a lot of ugly fashion designs accepted by my generation-ugly, but no more so than those worn by past or present generations. Isn't it funny how some things never change, yet change dramatically? The designs may change but the method of fashion popularity is always the same: name brand. A pair of jeans today can be made from the same manufacturer, but if one pair has a Tommy Hilfiger tag on it, you can almost guarantee that it will cost double or triple that of the jeans without a name brand.
When I was a teenager, Izod shirts were in style. You remember; golf shirts with tiny little
alligators sewn onto the left side of the chest. I'm sure you also remember that all the rich
kids wore them, and if anyone wanted to dress cool, he or she had to own an Izod shirt.
The quality of Izod clothing was no better than any other company's, but that little embroidered
alligator made all the difference in the world with regard to worth.
Izod shirts were definitely cool, but they were also priced out of the range of many of us in school. Those of us who did not come from a wealthy background were simply forced to use a little more creativity when trying to look fashionable.
I'm not sure exactly who it was that came up with the idea, but a couple of my friends and I found a way to get our hands on Izod shirts very cheap. Izod made other clothing with the little alligator sewn onto them-including socks. So we would buy Izod socks, which were much cheaper than the shirts, and remove the alligator from them. We would then purchase a cheap shirt that was designed exactly like that of an Izod, and then we would sew the little alligator from the socks onto the cheap alligatorless shirt. Ta-da! Instant Izod shirts at a fraction of the cost! But remember, there is a difference between cost and worth.
Isaiah 61:10 reads: "I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels."
Every day people attempt to deceive the world by wearing a form of clothing that looks very much like the garment of salvation, when in reality they are wearing nothing more than cheap imitations with the symbols of righteousness sewn onto them. They are found in every church, organization and denomination-they work extra hard, trying desperately to keep their secret hidden. "But," says Isaiah 64:6, "we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags." Since the beginning of time man has tried to find a cheap alternative, but since Jesus has paid the price, we are now able to afford the authentic thing. Jesus has provided us with the genuine article, but it is our decision to put it on and wear it.
It's plain to see that a name brand does make a significant difference when it comes to worth; when Jesus' name was attached to my filthy rags, I took off the old coat and put on the new. If you are one of those wearing a cheap imitation day in and day out, I would like to point out something: the One who matters most, knows the difference. Even the alligators from Izod socks were slightly smaller than those found on Izod shirts, making the cheap imitation noticeably different from the authentic piece.
So remember, just as in the fashion industry, you may be able to fool some of the customers, but you will never be able to fool the manufacturer.
Used by permission.
Mike Collins can be contacted by e-mail.
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