Ladies, Ladies…All the Ladies!!

Ahhhh…today was what I think a perfect family day should look like.  Well… it was as perfect a family day for US as we’ve had in a long time.  Chris was off…it was beautiful..like 65ish…and the boys literally played outside the entire morning.  Their friends from two doors down came over to play along…neighbors were out and about on our street… Emma Faye took her naps like a champ today…. everything was just perfect.  It’s days like these that always make me step outside of myself and really look at me and say…”and WHAT do you have to complain about?”  I really am living a charmed life…and I really need to shut up A LOT.

Speaking of complaining…which I am not doing right now… I am informing.  :)  I colored my hair today.  I have told Chris that this is the last “color in a box” that I am purchasing…next time I’m going pro!  It just didn’t do what I needed it to do…. and that…ladies…is cover up my GRAY!!!!!  There, I said it… can you believe it.  I have these nasty little gray hairs all over the place.  I know, I know…. listen, I can grow old with the rest of ‘em… I can deal with the wrinkles…the stretch marks….the scars….the little veins…..BUT I am not ready to give up the hair.  Sorry…I love my hair… I always have… we have this little relationship and I feel like it’s still worth fighting for……so I’m not givin’ up!  Anyway…this color was a lot darker than I had hoped.  I mean, I feel like I look like a witch.  If you are in the Ashville, NC area this week (which is where chris and I will be retreating on our vacation) and you see someone that looks like her hair could belong to a witch…just go “Hey Jenny….havin’ fun on your trip?”  And I guarantee I’ll turn around and say…”yeah, but wish my hair didn’t look so witchy….”…(ok, so now I officially will be singing ooooooo, witchy woman……)  Ok, so, I have dark hair… I can deal with that… the problem is that the color for some reason didn’t really cover the gray.  So now I have darker hair…no coverage of gray… and well…basically someone might as well have shined a spotlight on all of my gray little hairs because they are just glowing against this new color.  A new light has shined on some places where I didn’t even KNOW I had gray!!  SO FRUSTRATING!!  UGH!  Ok….I promise there is a point to my madness.  I was frustrated and started thinking as I was trying on my own to pluck each little uninvited guest OUT of my hair….hmmm…(yes, another life lesson for me….) As we grow in our walk with the Lord…He gradually begins to darken our hair so we may be able to see ALL of the gray… not just the parts we already know…

“….because it is written, “You shall be holy, for I Am holy”…..” 1 Peter 1:16

For Jesus to even begin that purifying process in our hearts…we MUST be aware of all of our sin.  I was telling my bible study group a few weeks ago that right now I feel like I’m being peeled like an onion.  It’s burning…It’s painful… and now we are finally reaching the deep dark places in my heart where I don’t even like to admit I own.  But I need to come face to face with the gray…..even the gray that I didn’t know existed.  Has the Lord revealed sin to you that you didn’t even know you were hauling around?  Boy, has He for me.  And I was so appreciative.  It really allowed me to start praying through some things.  Ask God to reveal to you any unknown sin in your life.  He hears us and He answers prayers.

As I was plucking each little hair…my arm was getting tired….I was discouraged…and once again vowed that I am getting this professionally done next time.  Then I smiled.  I have a professional who takes care of my ”hair” everyday….. Jesus.  He is constantly washing out the dirt and the grime.  He is conditioning.  He gives me good hair days… along with the bad….He’s constantly styling and sculpting…but most importantly His color….”with precious blood, as a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ” (1 Peter 1:19) not only covers ALL my gray…..but actually..removes…remember…”he’s taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the Cross” (   Colossians 2:14).  I stand in my mirror and marvel the fact that all of this gray could be gone completely and forever.  Every year it seems to become more and more.  I usually abhor looking at my hair in this state, but today, I’m glad for the gray.  I see my need for Him.  I see what He has done for me.  If only everyday we could somehow be reminded of the reality of the gospel.

“For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.  For one will hardly die for a righteous man;  though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die.  But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”  Romans 5:6-8

I’ve got a LOT of gray.  I’ve got A LOT of sin.  Praise the Lord I have Jesus!  And Praise the LORD He died for me despite my sin!  I LOVE how that passage says…”while we were” sinners.  It just blows my mind.  I am so humbled.  I pray that we stay mindful of Christ and what He did… I pray this reality will compel us to be bold…that we, as my pastor said on Sunday, will not “lose sight of the ’lostness’ of the lost.”  Some of us are out there IN the trenches–you’re on the mission fields… you are sharing your faith….some are examples and influences of Christ in your workplaces…while some of us may feel we “just” stay home with our kids.  We may go all day long without having an adult conversation….but may we continue to see Christ in the world around us.  May we find Christ’s love for us in and around every exersaucer, Fisher Price Barn set, Basketball Goal, Dollhouse, Kitchen Set, and Train Table…..even in the hairs upon our heads!  Bless you all and have a GREAT Sunday!

p.s………..women.. go home and tell your husbands that it is important for our spiritual health to get our hair professionally colored regardless of price because it represents what Christ has done for us.  jk!