Frazzled Hair

Last night was the first night of a new Bible Study with my Tuesday night group.  Some of us have attended the Tuesday night group together for a while and others were new to the group.  We started The Frazzled Female by Cindi Wood last night.  It is different from any study I have ever been a part of.  There is only daily homework and there is not a DVD for each session.  I am excited about being a part of the study because I really enjoy them, but one of the first questions we were asked to discuss at our tables was about why we were excited about the study.  I felt selfish as I answered but I was honest.  My answer was that I enjoy the social aspect of participating in studies.  I do want to learn more about the Lord and myself, but the truth is that I REALLY enjoy getting to know new people and more about people I already know.  I don't consider myself "frazzled" but I also know that, like every other Bible study, I will learn that I relate to the lessons more than I realize. 

With the name of this study in mind, I want to share a story from the rest of my evening yesterday.  I came home and my daughter suggested that we straighten my hair.  Now, you have to realize that I have very thick and very curly hair.  Straightening has always been laughable to me but I knew it was about spending time with my daughter and not about a perfect hair-do.  So she heated the iron, sat me in a chair, and started brushing my hair.  Something else you should know is "brushing" my dry naturally curly thick hair only makes it bigger.  As we talked and enjoyed time together she started the process of flat-ironing my hair.  She would joyfully say things like "Your hair is actually straight", "I cannot believe it is straightening", etc.  So I sat without a mirror and trusted her.  Soon, she was ready for me to look in the mirror.  As I looked I held back a laugh to keep from hurting her feelings.  Soon we were both laughing because of how different and odd I looked.  In a few minutes though, I realized I looked more like my sweet daddy.  He died over 8 years ago, but in that mirror I saw him and his thick, dark, and straight hair.  I suddenly did not think my hair looked odd but familiar.  I saw a change that looked more like who I came from and not my old self.

I consider my hair "frazzled".  It goes in all sorts of directions and you cannot tell which end is which.  There is no real style to my hair other than whatever it decides to do.  When the heat was firmly applied it changed.  It resisted a little, but in the end, my hair was straighter than it had ever been.  I was transformed to look more like my earthly father in the process.  That is so how life is.  We are going in a 100 different directions without much direction.  If something comes along and "brushes us" we seem even more out of control and our problems seem bigger.  If we allow the process of God firmly but carefully applying His warmth and love to our lives, we will be transformed into somebody that looks more like Him.  Now, remember, once I wash my hair it will be curly once again.  Once we wash our lives of time with God and applying His love and direction, we will be back to our old selves.  For me to have straight hair on a regular basis, I would need to have it flat ironed each and every morning which would take time and effort.  Our walk with the Lord is the same way.  We need to have daily time with Him and make the effort to look more and more like Him on a daily basis.  Others should see Him when they see us.

♫Take my life and let it be
Consecrated, Lord, to Thee.
Take my moments and my days,
   Let them flow in endless praise.♫