The Rounded Brush

The round brush! It is the brush your hairdresser uses to give you the most perfect blow-out ever. I always leave the salon with the bounciest volume, shiniest locks and a clean smooth coif.

Then I go home and I get my same round brush and attempt the feat all over again only to wind up with one side straight the other side wavy. One side fluffy and full the other side as flat as a door mat or the rounded brush stuck in my hair.

I have sworn off the rounded brush after one too many times of that same incident occurring. I have seen my reflection in the mirror with a brush stuck on the side of my head more times than I would like to admit. I have seen my sister in tears for the very same reason. And just a few months ago I had to witness the precious little 5 year old girl that I babysit in the same precarious situation, with tears streaming down her face. I had to tell her that all women learn this and luckily she learned it at an early age.

Typically yanking the brush from your own hair while trying hard not to pull too much hair out with two functioning normal arms and hands is a hard task…doing it with a half mobile arm and a crippled hand is perhaps something else that should be celebrated.

My Mom had to deal with this the other week. Like I said-she learned to wash and dry her own hair but unfortunately the love/hate affair with the rounded brush came back to haunt her. She said it took her nearly over an hour to get the brush out. She was so exhausted from the experience she sat down and cried. I think I would have too!

But you know what-I bet you that was the best occupational therapy she had all day. She probably used her arm and hands more than she had all week. I am sure that it was not the most practical method of working her fingers and arm movements but she had to do in order to get the brush out. So yet again what looks to be a horrible experience can be viewed as “beauty for ashes!”

You know the more I think about this situation the more I see a silver lining. I haven’t been much of a Pollyanna these days but I am seeing this experience with a little more of an eternal perspective. Often times God sends things our way that seem like a darn rounded brush stuck in our head. We started out trying to achieve glossy, “Jermack bounce-back beautiful hair” with our life and instead all we got was a brush twisted around in a tangled web of hair and bristles. Then ultimately the knotted up mess becomes untangled and we are free of the brush. So we may not look like we just stepped out of the salon but we don’t have a brush stuck in our head anymore and we had to go through quite an educating ordeal.

Sort of like when we think we know where our path is going and we hit an unexpected detour and instead of that taking us in the wrong direction it really allows us to either avoid more damage or obstacles ahead. We come up better in the end. I need to remember that God’s timing is perfect, he has a plan that is far greater than my own agenda and I don’t need to despise the detour but rather take delight in the fact that I have a new road open for me.

No one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for him.
-Isaiah 64:4 (NIV)

Happy Birthday Mom!

Happy Birthday Mom!
This is such a special day and I am so happy you are able to celebrate it with friends and family. I love you to the moon and back.

Mom also celebrated washing her own hair yesterday. She said that she may have made a bit of a mess but she was able to use the kitchen sink and wash and dry her own hair. It's the little things that we need to celebrate.

Voyage of the Dawn Treader

I have a love affair with young adult literature. I have read all the Harry Potters, all the Chronicles of Narnia, the Twilight saga, and too many Newberry Award winners to count.

My dear friend Amy D. is the daughter of an Alabama award winning middle school teacher. We usually ask her for summer reading lists and new titles when we’ve hit a slump or are still waiting for the hope that one more Harry Potter book will come out.

I remember being in Barnes and Noble one night with Mrs. D. and she asked me, “What book did you read as I child that brought reading to life?” It took me 2.1 seconds to respond, “The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe.”

Narnia is the place where reading came alive to me. Narnia is the reason I want a walk-in closet. Narnia is the reason I still think Kitty Lynn can talk. Narnia is the reason I visualize Christ as a majestic, powerful and loving lion. And ultimately, Narnia is the reason I grow as a Christian by learning life lessons in a world of make believe.

One of my favorite books of the series is “Voyage of the Dawn Treader.” If you haven’t read it, please do yourself a favor and go to the library, bookstore, or amazon.com and pick up a copy. Hurry before it’s a movie! (You have time it doesn’t come out until December 2010)

In the story there is a sour little boy named, Eustace Scrubb. He is really quite the annoyance and very unkind. He is selfish, always wanting to control things, boastful and constantly complaining. (I realize that I have just described my own self the more I type, which is why I absolutely love this story). One day, while they have stopped on an island during their voyage, Eustace stumbles into a dragon liar filled with treasure. His own greed causes him to actually turn into a dragon. I won’t go into detail but his sinful nature has become personified in the actual form of a dragon.

For six days he wanders the island in the form of a dragon. He is miserable. However, he slowly changes his heart and begins to help the others-once they know its Eustace and not an actual dragon. He catches food, warms his friends on cold nights and flies them around the island.

Finally Aslan appears and tells Eustace to follow him. He tells Eustace to “scrubb” off the dragon scales and get in the water. Eustace does this 3 times but each time the scales grow back. Finally Aslan must claw and tear the scales off for him. This piercing hurts Eustace but finally he is a boy again. Glowing, shiny and new.


Have you figured out the allegory yet? Have I figured it out, is the better question? I have to finally let go of my selfishness, control, anger, sin and allow God to claw away at my sin and wash me so I can become whole again. What a beautiful image of our Savior. He is a lion tearing away our dirty scales to reveal the glowing beauty that is hidden beneath. It is him and him alone that can reveal our true glory.

This has been a constant lesson for me these past few weeks. All things control and surrender related. I think the first time I read that story again as an adult I began crying, knowing all too well that I was the dragon. Luckily, my own Savior will tear away those scales-only if I let go and let Him.

An update on My Mom-She has actual physical pain to deal with though in the meantime. Her right hand received a good report yesterday at the doctor. He said to continue wearing those splints to stretch out the tendons in her 3 fingers. The doctor did see some progress and we now have the official order for Mom to begin outpatient therapy. Thank you for the prayers and your continued support of our family. I can’t wait till Mom’s accident related “scales” are finally washed away and she is her old/new self!

Ephesians 4:20-24 (New International Version)
20You, however, did not come to know Christ that way. 21Surely you heard of him and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. 22You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.