A Haircut and Church on Sunday

Well, I dodged the bullet last week at school. Back before Christmas, I was having a bad hair month and had the thought that I might as well get a buzz cut and not have to mess with it any more so...I put forward a proposal to the fifth grade teacher (who is a male and sports tresses longer and curlier than anyone's at the school!). I told him that I was sick of my hair and I would be willing to buzz it off but why didn't he and I have a little contest to see if we could raise a little money for the school. Much to my surprise he agreed and the contest was on. I made "wanted" posters and hung them in the hallways of the highschool and elementary (our school is Pre-K-12th grade), made money jars and set them up in the front office and our elementary principal helped me advertise. Up until last week I was ahead with $25 and he had $16. I thought for sure that I would be getting a buzz cut this Friday and I was getting NERVOUS. Much to my surprise the elementary students came in with A LOT of money and HE ended up winning with $135 plus change compared with my $25! All of those people who told me that they were going to make sure that we tied so that we'd both have to get a haircut chickened out when they saw how much money they would have to kick in. Now my hair is safe. This whole contest has made me think about how much our self worth (or whatever you want to call it) is wrapped up in our appearance. I am not my hair. The value that my Lord places on me has nothing to do with my appearance or what and who I am. It has all to do with the sacrifice of my Savior. How I wish for an opening with some of these children to show them the love of God. He has given me the opportunity with some and that is a blessing. I watch them and the middle school and high school students spend so much time worrying about their appearance. They are all beautiful to me. I wish they could see what I see.

Yesterday was a day of great joy for me at my church. Our sister congregation voted to dissolve their charge and to join with us as one congregation. This sister congregation was the one my family joined when we first became members of the RCUS. I have missed those saints so very much. They are the ones who were there with my husband and me when our little daughter was stillborn, they helped us through 2 miscarriages and through the birth of our oldest daughter (I was on bed rest for SIX months), through the birth of our oldest son (he was 7 weeks early). They wept with us and rejoiced with us, prayed for us and worked out the love of God to us here on earth. I would worship with the saints at Providence Reformed church and would wish that my brothers and sisters from Blue Cliff could be there with us. Now God has answered that prayer but not without a time of great testing for all of us. Dear ones became angry when this merger was first mentioned by our former pastor (who at the time was suffering from prostate cancer and wanted the merger so things would be easier for him). They would not hear of a merger even though one of those was his own daughter. When the dear saints who wanted the merger would occasionally visit they would express the desire to be with us always and I would renew my prayer. During the time of trial those rebellious ones tried to get our pastor fired for preaching heresy! They turned their backs against family members, in one case a mother and daughter completely cut a son and daughter out of their lives because these had confronted them with their sin and asked them to repent. Dear, dear friends have spurned people who had been friends and neighbors for years. At public events they turn their backs and refuse to speak to my brothers and sisters in Christ. Oh it ought not to be so!

But through all of the turmoil our congregation has been blessed. My oldest son will be confirmed soon, my son-in-law is to be baptized and join the church and our dear little grandson will be baptized, all on the same day! A new family is taking membership classes. The father began listening to R.C. Sproul and discovered that he is Reformed instead of Catholic and has been attending church regularly. Our elders are much more approachable and have such a heart for the welfare of our souls. And our dear, dear pastor has matured so much in the Lord, as have we all. We have prayed for years for growth, both spiritual and in membership and God has been faithful to answer that prayer. He has rooted out the idolatry toward one family that so many of us had in our hearts. Those who could not give up that idolatry right now are gone from our midst but I pray that God who is working repentance in my own heart will work His repentance in their hearts as well. I have learned so much about forgiveness from my pastor and elders through watching them forgive those who have so despitefully used them. We have learned so much about thankfulness through all of this as well. My heart is full. I know that this emotional time for me will pass but I also know that God is maturing me through all of this and that the joy of my salvation will still be there always.

Till next time...