A Special Day for Some Very Special Kids

For weeks before this day, we had worked to make all the dresses look brand new.  We could all feel the excitement building as the day approached.  What did God have in store for us? 

We all felt those nervous jitters that come when you know you are about to see the Kingdom of God in all its glory.

As the bus pulled up our hearts filled with joy as each one of our special customers stepped onto our parking lot and made their way to our door.  This was not just any day at the Prom Loft in at First Baptist Church in Huntersville.  This was the day we were fitting dresses for the first very special prom for some of the students of a local high school.

“I hope there is a dress for me!” shouted a giant of a young lady.  At 6 foot 3 and size 28, we all knew that sizing this customer would truly be a God-sized task.

“God has sent you to us so there is a dress in here” I confidently replied.  Although deep inside I wasn’t so sure.  I looked over at Aileen, the founder of the Prom Loft, and when I saw her face I knew I wasn’t alone.

The volunteers went to work fitting the students as Aileen and I set out to find just the right dress for our new friend.

We tried dress after dress but nothing seemed to work.  In our staging area was a stack of dresses that we had not had a chance to put out yet.  A volunteer was going through the stack checking sizes and making suggestions.  One after the other nothing worked. 

All through this our new friend never lost her smile, or her faith.  It was her attitude that kept us going.

Finally the stack was down to the very last dress.  Could it be?  Yes it was a size that just might work.

Eagerly she took the last dress into our fitting room and no more than a minute later, a squeal of delight filled the room.

“It fits.  It fits!” she shouted.

That was all it took.  The water works came on as everyone in the Loft was filled joy and praise.  Truly that is what the Kingdom of God looks like!  She received her special dress for her special prom and we received our special blessing as we witnessed God at work.  What a great day!

Students leave the Prom Loft ready for their special prom.

Lydia’s Prom Loft was founded by Aileen, a dedicated volunteer at the local crisis assistance center Lydia’s Loft.  Formal gowns and suits were coming in to the center and there really wasn’t a need for them.  People came to the center because they needed essentials, not formal wear.

She started keeping the dresses in her garage with the thought that someday they would be needed. One day Aileen surprised me with a vision she had for the six dresses she had saved. 

“I wonder if there are young ladies who can’t afford prom dresses that may like to have these for their formals?” she asked.

Once word got out, those first six dresses did not last long as young ladies went home with their new treasures.  Just like loaves and fishes, those six dresses seemed to multiply.  One by one, more kids came and just when we thought there would not be enough dresses, more were provided from sources all over the Charlotte area.  By the end of that first season we had almost 100 dresses left over!

John 6: 5-14 
5 When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” 6 He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.
7 Philip answered him, “It would take more than half a year’s wages[a] to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!”
8 Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up,9 “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?”
10 Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass in that place, and they sat down (about five thousand men were there).11 Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.
12 When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.” 13 So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.
14 After the people saw the sign Jesus performed, they began to say, “Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.”

Out of the blue, Aileen got a call from a group that was planning to hold a prom at the Levine’s Children’s Hospital in Charlotte.  We decided to box up all the dresses left and donate them all to this event.  As the last of dresses were loaded into the SUV we were both happy and sad.  We knew the dresses were meant to go to them but we wondered too if this was the end of the Prom Loft.

God was not finished.

It wasn’t any time before Aileen got a call from the Junior League in Charlotte.  They had lots of formal dresses and shoes left over, too.  Would we be able to use any of them?

Another call from Girl Talk and we were back in business with seven times more dresses than we had the first season! 

In Luke 12:31 Jesus says “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and he will give you everything you need.”

The Prom Loft is in its seventh season and the blessings just keep flowing.  Every year we keep a record of the number of dresses we have and each year they double.

Volunteers of all ages and backgrounds come to help in this special ministry each year.

Countless girls and boys have felt the dignity and joy of letting their beauty shine. 

Word continues to spread and the Kingdom continues to grow right before our eyes...

- Tammy