How a Skirt Got Me into a Presidential Event

My wardrobe in Liberia was rather casual. Working twelve-hour shifts in a non-air-conditioned kitchen wasn’t exactly an occasion for formality. One glance at my stained and sweaty clothes said it all.

On an off-day, I wore one of the only skirts I’d brought with me and took a walk around the ship, enjoying the view of the harbor. That’s when I was approached by a Mercy Ships worker in a leadership role. She looked at me and said, “You’re dressed up. Come with me!”

She led me to the main meeting hall, which was packed. As I stepped inside, I realized I had stumbled into something significant. And that’s when I saw her.

Her Excellency Madam President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, President of the Republic of Liberia.

That was how every speaker began their remarks. The President of Liberia had come aboard to personally thank Mercy Ships for their service. She spoke of walking in the footsteps of Jesus Christ, living a life of sacrificial service, and witnessing lives transformed by love and medical care.

As a temporary worker, I hadn’t been invited to this ceremony. But because I was in the right place, wearing the right clothes—and because there were open seats—I got to be part of that moment.

It Reminded Me of a Parable…

That whole moment brought to mind one of Jesus’ parables—the Parable of the Wedding Feast (Matthew 22:1–14). In the story, Jesus describes the Kingdom of Heaven like a royal wedding banquet. The invited guests shrug off the king’s invitation. Some even attack his messengers. So the king throws the doors open and invites everyone—anyone—off the streets.

But there’s a twist. Among the crowd, the king notices someone not wearing wedding clothes. The man is quickly removed from the celebration.

The king had extended grace. He invited the original guests more than once. And when they refused, he welcomed everyone—regardless of background or status. That’s how the Kingdom of God works: it’s open to all—Jew and Gentile, insider and outsider. But Jesus’ story makes something clear:

While you don’t need a robe of righteousness to receive the invitation,
you do need one to stay at the feast.

The Clothes God Gives

This truth is echoed in Isaiah 61:10:

I will greatly rejoice in the Lord;
my soul shall exult in my God,
for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation;
he has covered me with the robe of righteousness,
as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress,
and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

It’s not about earning the right outfit. God Himself dresses us. He gives us the “garments of salvation,” the “robe of righteousness.”

That day on the ship, I didn’t earn my way into that room. I just happened to be wearing the right clothes. Spiritually, though, it isn’t a coincidence. It’s grace. It’s God inviting us in, and dressing us for the occasion.

So may we walk faithfully, clothed in what He provides, and remember that—
we belong at the table not because of what we wear,
but because of Who dressed us.