OUCH

October 29th, 2008

Mommie playfully grabbed a chunk of my hair, twisting and turning it in her hands, meticulously webbing a pattern around my face.

(to me) “It brightens your face; you look so much younger.” (to her friend) “Queeta, get me some rubber bands; I want to plat all of Ruth’s hair.”

The rubber bands never came, so Mommie vowed to create her entire work of art on me another time! I was relieved, as my head was sore from all the pulling and tugging. Besides that, I had been in the middle of sharing with both Queeta and Mommie God’s wonderful gift of forgiveness when Mommie had abruptly changed the subject to my hair. I knew the Holy Spirit was convicting her, for I had seen tears sliding to the corners of her eyes.

At first, when she started her rampage on my hair, I became very defensive, protesting that my hair was not as strong as hers and would break easily when platted. But when she insisted that would not happen, I gave the matter to God.

“OK Jesus, I give you my hair. What is my hair worth anyway in comparison to a soul for whom You died and resurrected? I will let her do anything to my hair if that will bring her to You, Jesus!”

Praise God, after the short interlude of ‘hair harmony’, we were able to get back to ‘God business’. Both Mommie and Queeta received God’s gift of salvation! That day all three of us became united as sisters in Jesus. We pledged our devotion to each other; we celebrated with hugs; and I was crowned with the new name ‘Gameh’, a name taken from their own tribal language!