"I am not my hair...."

In a few weeks, I am cutting my hair off. Pretty much all of it. I have a relaxer in my hair and for my friends who don't understand the process of a relaxer on black hair (I love y'all...**MUAHHH**), the relaxer straightens my hair. Makes it bouncy and stuff, but a while ago, I had a natural. No relaxer, no chemicals, it was more of an Afro and I loved it. I could kick myself for ever getting rid of it. So anyway, I want it back but in order to get the big Afro back, it's gotta start out kind of little. So I spent the last few weeks "prepping" some folks for this chop. I told Tony and the kids and I got this look of disgust. They like it long. Told a few friends and I got mixed reviews... some are like " ohhh cute, I loved it like that" and some " ahhhhh, you're gonna look like a boy." Maybe, except with jewelry and a little lipstick. But never the less.. it's getting cut.

Then I started thinking this morning, why do I care what people think about my hair? Having it long or short, straight or kinky does not change me, the person inside. So why am I so concerned about their reactions? ...Because in the world we live in, we have been programmed to do things to be accepted, and almost at any cost.

And sadly even sometimes in church, we are programmed the same way. We have to have the biggest building because that will surly make more people come, we have to drive the best cars because they know we "have something" then, wear the most popular name brand, have the best sound systems and choirs or praise teams in town so we can get invited to other places..... the list goes on and on. No one wants to be rejected or hurt, laughed and talked about, so we conform to the things around us to "fit in" and make it seems like we are the same as everyone else.

I read this in a devotion a few days ago:

"The challenge of being true to who we are- realization that no one else's skin will really fit on our body- the inner knowing that we are loved by God and others for who we are. Could a God who knows all really be satisfied with relationship with us when we are less than true to who He created us to be? Could He deeply interact with us when we try to relate to Him through our facades? He, after all, is the One who really knows we are faking it."

Maybe this doesn't make sense to some of you, but it did to me. To really be in Christ deeply, to know Him and be about His business, we have to be that unique person God created. If God wanted us all alike, same clothes, same hair, same goals, same abilities, then guess what, He would have done that back in the Garden. But He didn't. He wants us to use the gifts He gave us, our very own uniqueness I guess to further us and other in His kingdom.

I pray you all have a wonderful, peaceful day. Until next time... Lord willing.. and oh.. P.S. -- I'm not stressing the hair anymore, it will grow back... :)