The Word for Writers

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John 12:2-3 Here a dinner was given in Jesus' honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus' feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.

Like washing my hair to remove grime and sweat, so is the residue left in me by the everyday filth of living in this world cleansed by the daily washing of the Word.

The loving care of The Comforter is a balm much like conditioner -- He makes removing the tangles caused by the enemy less painful and gives me a soft sheen that gives off Light.

Because the Lord has full reign in my life, He, much like a fine-toothed comb, is thorough in separating the strands individually, taking care when things are pulled too tightly. Although it often feels like the damage is beyond repair. I trust Him with every strand. Some of those strands are weak and simply fall out on their own. But not one of them gets passed His ever-watching eye.

At first recognition of His Sovereignty, my life, like unkempt hair, was just an unhealthy, tangled up mess. It is most unfortunate, but much hair is usually lost upon the first attempt to comb through it after it’s been abused for prolonged periods of time. The heat of summer suns and the cold winds of winters passed can leave one’s hair in terrible shambles.

However, with time spent in His presence, God softens and enlivens my heart, renewing the heart of my youth, no matter how terribly unkempt it may have been. Of course, much damage had to be trimmed off the ends at first so that I could grow properly.

I’m not a very vain person. Or at least, I don’t think I am. In fact, I’ve been told that I’m “modest to a fault.” I’d probably wear turtlenecks and full-length pants or skirts in the summer if it weren’t so hot in Texas. 1 Timothy 2:9-10 I also want women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God.

I do wear my hair braided occasionally, but let’s not lose the point the author was making here. The way a woman dresses ought to be a reflection of who she is on the inside. So yes, I guess I’m modest to a fault. I Peter 3:3-4 Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight.

But modesty and vanity are not opposites. They are two totally separate things. I’d be lying if I said I haven’t been blessed with very nice hair. Does that sound like vanity? Oh, but it isn’t! See... It’s my glory! It's what I dry the Lord's feet with too. :::smile::: and the Lord has granted me much glory... in the hair department anyway. 1 Corinthians 11:14-16 Does not the very nature of things teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a disgrace to him, but that if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For long hair is given to her as a covering. If anyone wants to be contentious about this, we have no other practice—nor do the churches of God.

I’m only 5’1”, so saying it’s waist-length isn’t saying a lot. But it’s longer than most, nearly black, lots of sheen, bone-straight, and very healthy. (Quite typical of my Native American ancestry.) It’s got a few white streaks in the temples. Okay, okay, it’s got quite a few white streaks in the temples. But I like to think of them as silver trophies. I’d tell my children when they were younger, “No! Don’t pull that out! I earned every last one of those silver trophies!” I really only did that because I heard somewhere that two would grow back in its place and I had a sister who suffered from premature graying. But, she’ll have beautiful white hair soon. Whereas I’ll just have salt and pepper.

Proverbs 16:31 Gray hair is a crown of splendor; it is attained by a righteous life.
Proverbs 20:29 The glory of young men is their strength, gray hair the splendor of the old.

I recall a day when I was cutting my son’s hair. He was five years old then. He had curly, dark brown hair and looked so much like Little Ricky from the ‘I Love Lucy’ show. I was cutting away when I noticed a white hair in the very center of his crown. “Wow! Son, you have a white hair right on top of your head!”

He threw both his little arms over his head in a protective stance. “Don’t pull it out! I earned it!”

I suppose it just might be alright if I’m a little vain about this glory of mine. You see, all glory to God alone. He’s the One who blessed me with this “glory.” One day, I’m going to take on a more “glorious” form anyway. This glory (my hair) is all going to fall out and this old body will be passed away. I Peter 1:24 For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: Matthew 5:36 And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black.

I earned the glory in my life the very same second that I gave the Lord full reign over my life... even the silvery and/or broken strands. And glory, glory, glory, He makes all things beautiful in His time! So for now, I’m going to hang on to this glory and take good care of it... as long as it’s still hanging on to me. Besides, I cry a lot at His wonderful feet and I've got to use something to dry them off.
© Joyce Pool

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