I walked through the studio’s door; picture in hand, ready to be transformed. There is something about a cute cut to turn your day from gloom to glam. And today ladies, I could use a little glam.
I gave the stylist the photo and shared a little about what I was looking for. He was confident he could recreate it.
A warm shampoo followed by a relaxing scalp massage and into the chair.
We looked at the picture again, discussed his thoughts, landed on a final plan, and he got started.
I closed my eyes resting in the sound of the scissor’s snip, click, snip, and the soft buzz made from the clipper blades. I could see the image in my mind. I was so excited to see my reflection, face surrounded by chin-length curls.
My daydreaming was disrupted by the towel being pulled from around my neck. I felt the soft bristles of the brush touching my shoulders. “We’re all done!” My eyes popped open but to my disappointment, the chair was turned away from the mirror.
He looked at me and said, “OK are you ready?” So much drama for a simple bob cut. I responded, “Yes!” The chair whipped around and my reflection filled the mirror.
You can imagine my horror when the reality of my cut looked nothing like the picture – not even remotely like the picture. My glam moment disintegrated into gloominess.
I was bald – well nearly bald. And, I wasn’t happy!
What do you do when excited enthusiasm gives way to frustration and despair? Let me tell you ladies when it comes to hair, BALD, even nearly BALD, too short, not what you thought IS despair.
I took my infuriated attitude and plopped down in the car, slammed the door, and drove home. Along the way, I called a friend and explained what had just happened. I emphasized taking the picture, how we had discussed the plan even how I waited with great anticipation for the final reveal. For goodness’ sake, I yelled, “It’s a bob cut – how can you mess up a bob? Above the ears is not chin-length, it just isn’t.”
I finally slowed my rant long enough for my friend to slide in a thought.
“I wonder what the women fleeing the tyranny of war in Ukraine, or those facing cancer – truly bald from the ravages of chemo, or perhaps those on the street, not by design but due to uncontrollable circumstance, I wonder how they feel about a bad haircut?”
The air in the car was sucked out the open windows. My body felt limp in the seat and for the remainder of the drive, we both were silent. Nothing else needed to be said. As I pulled into the driveway, I whispered, “Bye.” She responded, “Call when you want to talk.”
Her words caused something inside me to shift. Sometimes you need the hard truth, a radical shake to help you see yourself.
Faced with the reality of my pride and vanity, I stared in the mirror, beyond the superficial reflection, into that bruised part of my soul. Once there, I recognized that somehow, I had tied my appearance to my value. When my image shifted, that bad haircut, then I lost myself.
I wonder what shakes your foundation. What causes you to lose your way? What are you depending on for personal definition?
Mona Hanna in her book, The Nature of God offers this,
“So much can change in our lives: our circumstances, the way people treat us, our health, and even our feelings can constantly change. But God will never change.”
So, what does a bad haircut have to do with God?
I am beginning to believe that God uses our everyday ordinary lives to push us to the end of ourselves. The funny thing is God knew the haircut today was going to make me crazy. He knew I would call my friend, and fly out of control. God chose to work through her to bring an awakening.
But whether it is a bad haircut, a rude store clerk, an unexplainable illness, or a few profoundly challenging truths wrapped in a friend’s sweet voice, He gets our attention. He replaces our agenda, our pride, and the fears that drive us, with His acceptance and love – covering our old natures with His grace.
We are not defined by our appearance – a poor haircut, an unfortunate choice, or another failure. Our true beauty is a gift from our Creator. Our value is defined by the God that sacrificed everything to give us everlasting life. And our God, never changes.
Be Blessed His BeLOVED,
“Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us.” Romans 12:3 (NLT)
ENJOY:
BeLoved 