The brassy ends of my hair hung limp on my shoulders. The highlights from months ago no longer gleamed health and beauty, but instead screamed dry and stringy. I had tried everything – curling, straightening, even braiding – but nothing could bring out the shine that had exuded so brightly before. Not even the beloved argan oil could revive my dull hair.
But last Friday, something amazing happened: I visited my hairdresser.
In the time between securing the appointment and finally sitting down in the hairdresser’s chair, I had dreamed of the moment when my hair would come back to life. I had scrolled through Pinterest daily, looking for a new color, a new cut, a new look. I had searched, stared, and mentally bookmarked the colors of people’s hair that I liked. And I had frequently brought up the topic to my roommate and boyfriend because I just knew they would want to hear all about my excitement for the new look.
And as my hair lady blow dried my hair, I finally saw the new highlights pick up, the new cut shape up, and the new me perk up. The wait was worth the impatience in between. Walking out of the salon, after two hours of tedious work and rich conversation, I felt anew. After the long weeks of split ends stealing joy from my hair, I could finally smile at my reflection again.
Through this experience, I learned that haircuts have a way of refreshing us. And they do so because they offer us a chance to cut off what doesn’t work and bring to life what does. They refresh us – renew us. And through this particular cut, Jesus renewed my spirit.
During this past month of school, my zeal for studying had been as dry as the ends of my hair were. But during this past week of school, I cut off the thoughts of annoyance and complaints. Rather than dwelling on the worries that I could not change, I focused on getting through the things I had to do each day. As a result, my attitude toward school bounced back to life like the curls in my hair.
I not only cut off the worries that only ended in frustration, but I also began to again notice what had been there all along and just needed a deep conditioning: grace.
Jesus’ grace is a topic of frequent conversation for me, whether with my church circles, my family, or my friends. But rarely do I think about dwelling on the beauty of Jesus’ grace. Grace often becomes to me a Christian circles’ word that we toss around without pausing to recognize its immensity. But God revealed His grace to me abundantly, again, this past weekend.
Through my haircut, baptisms at my church, and a lesson in humility, God reminded me of the new life He has given me. By cutting out my narrow-minded focus on stress, God re-centered my heart on the beauty of His work through the stress. Because of Jesus, I no longer have to live enslaved to complaints; I can praise (2 Cor. 1:3-4). Because of Jesus, I no longer have to let sin dry up my joy; I can cut it off (Matt. 5:30). And because of Jesus, I no longer have to look at my reflection and see a sinner without hope; I can see a sinner completely, irrevocably, eternally saved (Romans 8:38-39).
Jesus may not have cut off my hair last Friday, but He did work through something as simple as a haircut to reveal His grace to me again. And this grace revived me like my hairdresser revived my hair. Moving forward, I get to keep nourishing my time in His Word as frequently as I nourish my hair because His Word reminds me constantly of His grace. I do not have to be perfect, but I can look to the One who is perfect to find redemption in all areas of my life.
So, who’s ready for a haircut?
