Hi. I’m Julie Orr, founder of Garments of Joy Ministries, Inc. We provide handmade hospital gowns to women facing a hospital stay due to any sort of illness or injury. We purpose to bring comfort, hope and encouragement to those walking a painful path. The gowns are gift-bagged with a few little goodies, along with a handmade card and letter from me sharing how my faith has strengthened me through my own physical struggles. Further spiritual help and personal contact is provided for the patient through our website and phone number. In all this we endeavor to magnify the grace, mercy and greatness of Almighty God.

The concept for this venture was birthed during one of my outpatient procedures last spring. While dressing into yet another hospital gown, I made a pointed request of the Lord; “I know you are developing my soul through all these outward messes and I’m grateful for that. But while the doctors work on my body, would you please at least provide me with something decent to wear?” We all know hospital gowns are flimsy and pathetically ugly, making them humiliating to wear. I left the hospital that day with a staunch determination to never sport one of those pitiful, unflattering garments again. Wearing one for forty-three days in nine years was enough. Thus, began the God-given ideas for Garments of Joy. Our gowns follow the same pattern as the hospital ones, yet are cute, fun with bright material, modest, and dressed up with pockets, pretty ribbons, and buttons. For someone who is sick and scared, wearing something cheerful can be a sure pick-me-up.

You know, I’ve faced a heap of physical trouble in the last several years. Physical pain has bullied its way into my life leaving me feeling quite beat up at times. Yet, God has intentionally piled the ailments up in order to teach me the truths of Romans 12:12: “Rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer.” In my weakness, He has given the power to be patient in my afflictions and kept me steadfastly crying out to my Lord. However, this is only been possible because He has, in the process, increased the joy of my hope tenfold. My heavenly hope has put pain in its proper perspective. Trouble is only His temporary instrument used to show me more of my Eternal Father’s awesome character and the joys of His eternal home. I can no longer allow myself to stay in a contented mode with this world. It offers too little. There’s just not enough room in this world to hold the whole of my God. I live for the fulfillment of all that He is in all of His promises.

Okay, so I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve wasted a lot of days that I should have been numbering with grumbling, complaining and bickering. Yet, I serve a perfectly loving, forgiving God. In that truth, I know that as long as He shall keep me living in this body, I will “live by faith in the Son of God, who loves me and gave Himself for me.” (Galations 2:20). That faith includes, as Scripture says, seeking His city, looking for the better, desiring, preferring, and longing for it, running with all my might to it, putting my heart and mind there, pressing on, straining towards and eagerly anticipating HEAVEN. There I will finally see the face of my God (Revelation 22:4) and dwell in His glorious presence with uninterrupted joy and pleasure. (Psalm 16:11).

So as I wait, enjoying this life, whether that be one more day or forty more years, I want to make the most of my time to bring Christians closer to their Savior and share the gospel with those who still yet need to know Him. As we reach out to our hospital community, Garments of Joy Ministries wants all to know the joy of His salvation, His sweet comfort, His peace that passes all understanding, and the sureness of His hope.