Shalom from The Heart of Texas!
All day, I have been fighting with my hair. Having a bad hair day is frustrating. After, I wash my hair it goes crazy. It should be settled down by tomorrow. My hair now touches my waist. Who would have ever thought? I usually wear it in a braid off to the side, but today, I was a grown up version of Heidi. This is the story behind my long hair. My older sister was a hair dresser. She was 7 years older then me. She was loving and very bossy. Sometimes the two traits overlapped each other. She was an authority on everything. I did love her, however sometimes she made my life difficult.
It was about this time in 2008, I said good-bye to her on a old wooden bench in front of the old hardware store in Blanco, Texas. She was on her way to see her daughter in Ohio. She had a cold and cough and was hoping to feel better before she left on her trip. She had crippling arthritis and took a powerful treatment to keep it under control in San Antonio. I think it was called Rhema-caide. She stopped taking the treatment when her husband died. She didn't drive in the city and was way to stubborn to take the Senior Citizen Shuttle. I regret being to busy to notice she needed that to live. Her personality overpowered me all of my life. I mostly kept my opinion to myself and when I didn't I was the wicked sister. In spite of it all, I loved her and still do. She wasn't in Ohio very long before a tumor appeared on her neck. She was thankful to be near her dependable daughter and so was I. It was not long and the doctor's diagnosed her with cancer. She only took a couple chemo treatments and each time she was so sick. God called her home! and I never saw her after that day in Blanco. Back to the hair!
She loved to cut my hair and especially if I was on her last nerve. That is when I got a hair cut from hell. She would cut it so short that I would go home and cry. She told me never to let my hair grow. I didn't look good in long hair. Her words hurt. I held my tears and fear until I was home. I didn't want to hurt her feelings. My hair never had a chance to grow. She would talk me into a trim and I would go home and cry. This went on from the early 60's to 2008. I never stood up for myself. Well one day a few years ago, I was praying on the front porch and I was missing her. With a twinkle in my eye, I realized I didn't have to have her cut my hair. I could have long hair and that I would no longer dread the hair cuts from hell. It took awhile for my hair to remember how to grow, but once it started it just continued. The Lord blessed me with beautiful highlights of silver gray and ash. Sometimes, people stop to ask about my hair. They think it is beautiful. Sometimes they ask to touch it. When I think about having it cut, I hear someone comment on my hair and I go home and smile. I still miss her and look forward to the day, I meet her in heaven. I pray the Lord gently tells her that I now have my own opinions and I am sticking to them. I love my long hair and when I brush it, I thank God for it.
It was easy to pick a word today. It is Stubborn. The Merriam-Webster online dictionary uses the words unreasonable or perversely unyielding to define it.
The reference verse is:
But this people has a stubborn and rebellious heart; They have turned aside and departed.
Jeremiah 5:23
My family comes from a long line of stubborn character. I am one of them. I have been working on that flaw in myself for sometime. I do not want to be known as a stubborn person. I am asking God to replace stubbornness with kindness and love.
The Promise for today is: Delight in Me and I will give you the longings of your heart.
Psalm 37:4
It is a beautiful night for sleeping. Rain is on the way. Morning comes early. Be blessed my friends with the blessings that rain down on you, because God is so good. Lean on the promises.
Love is in the ink.
Mary Kay
No comments:
Post a Comment