I’m always amazed at the object lessons Christ teaches me
through my interaction with children. This year, I had the opportunity to serve as a small group
leader for our Vacation Bible School program. I thoroughly enjoyed my vibrant troop of 6-9 year olds. I
can’t tell you how many times I laughed till I cried at the comedy those
children brought me every single day. I’d like to share the lessons I learned from a short conversation
I had with a little girl on the last day of VBS.
During the summer, I usually wear my hair slicked back into
a bun. Buns are low-maintenance and keep my hair out of my way. At night, I
usually take the bun out and braid up my hair in a couple plaits to make sure
my curls stay moisturized. When I wake up in the morning, I could choose to
wear my hair out in what’s called a “braid-out” (the braids are unraveled and
let free) but I usually wear the simple bun. However, after taking the braids
out on Friday morning, I decided to switch it up and wear my hair out for our
last day in Athens.
As the day progressed, my hair got bigger. The bigger my
hair gets, the more I like it. By the time I arrived at VBS that evening, my
hair was just right. As soon as I walked into the doors and stepped into the
registration line, I heard a gasp.
I turned and saw the cutest little girl looking at me in
total shock. She couldn’t have been more than 5 years old.
Me: “Hi, sweetie!”
Little Girl: “Your hair!!!! It’s fuzzy!”
Me: “Furry?!”
Little Girl: “No! Fuzzy! Your hair is fuzzy! It was smooth
all week and now it’s fuzzy!”
Me: “Oh!! Fuzzy! Well, yes this is what my hair does. It’s
very…curly!”
Little Girl: “Yeah, It’s very fuzzy.” (Turns up nose and
shakes head in disgust) “I like it smooth.”
There were two object lessons for me:
1.
When the kids came into VBS, they spent the
majority of their night with their tribe and their leader. This little girl was
not in my tribe. I might have danced with her a couple times during the Praise
& Worship section but our interaction was definitely limited. What blew me away was the fact that she
noticed such a simple change in hairstyle. She was paying attention. It
reminded me of being a kid and how much I paid attention to the adult who told
another adult to “shut up”. I couldn’t understand how that was okay when I
wasn’t allowed to tell others to shut up. If she picked up on a simple change
in hairstyle, what else is she picking up? You guessed it. Everything! If
you’re like me, it’s so easy to get lost in your own world and think that no
one is paying attention to you. Now, I’m not trying to instill a sense of
paranoia. Don’t go around thinking that everyone is watching your every move.
That will drive you crazy. Just be mindful. You never know who is watching you.
You never know who may be admiring you. You never know who might be drawn
closer to Christ as a result of the actions they see in you. Out of
frustration, you might roll your eyes or suck your teeth. A little person may
see that and thinks it’s cool and you’ve just passed on a not-so admirable habit.
So be careful!
2.
As cute and sweet as the little girl was, she
made it clear she didn’t like my “fuzzy” hair. I might have days where my hair
is not doing what I really want it to, but one thing is for certain. No one can
successfully convince me that my hair isn’t beautiful. However, that wasn’t always the case. I
used to be insecure about my hair. In elementary school, kids used to pull my
hair and make fun of me because I didn’t have pretty Shirley Temple curls and a
perm like the other girls. In those days, it wasn’t about embracing what God
gave me. It was about embracing the fact that Mom wouldn’t let me get a perm so
I had to deal with it. However, the less I fought what came naturally to me,
the sooner I saw the beauty in it. If I truly embrace EVERYTHING that God has
given me, inward and outward, the sooner I’ll see the beauty and any
insecurities I have will fade away.
There may be a part of your story that you may
struggle to truly embrace as a gift from God. Learn to embrace it. Cultivate
it. For example, ladies with
natural hair usually go through a two-step process called moisturizing and
sealing. The first step is to moisturize the hair with a water-based product to
keep the hair from getting dry. Sealing is the second step when oil (preferably
coconut oil) is placed on the strands to keep the moisture from getting
out. Just as natural hair needs
water-based moisture daily, our spirits need the Living Water daily. Nurture
the person who God has called you to be. Remind yourself of His promises.
Affirm yourself in the Lord. Meditate on the FACT that you are fearfully and so
wonderfully made!!! Then seal that in with love from God and believers who
continue to validate, celebrate and affirm what He has created in you. This
two-step process is a great way to help you continue to, beautifully and gracefully,
grow in the Lord.
I really hope this message encourages and inspires you!
Oh yeah and before I forget, #teamnatural!!!!
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