My kids were excited. For weeks we had been planning on going to see "The
Chronicles of Narnia" over Christmas break, and today was the day! They couldn't
wait, but there was this one thing my wife planned to accomplish before leaving
for the theatre: Haircuts! With an hour to spare, she was sure she had plenty of
time.
More than a year ago, we had purchased a haircut kit. Since my boys insisted on
various lengths of buzz cuts, we decided that we could save on hairstyling costs
by doing the job ourselves. Correction. My wife would be doing the haircuts. Men
tend to be a bit clumsy with these kinds of things. Or maybe not ALL men, but
ME, anyway!
My two boys had their haircuts done in lightning speed (Is there such a speed?
Absolutely! Watch my wife with her haircut kit!) And now it was my turn. I
cheerfully left my computer work and headed upstairs. My hair had grown quite a
bit longer than I liked it, and I had been wishing that haircut time would roll
around.
Be careful what you wish for!
I sat down in the designated spot and was appropriately draped with a bed sheet
to keep any blood…uh…hair from getting on my clothing.
"What number would you like?" I was asked.
Anyone who has ever had such a haircutting kit knows that there are attachments
of various sizes that you put on the buzzer (or whatever you call that machine
you cut the hair with!). This keeps the inexperienced hairstylist from cutting
your hair shorter than you want it to be. My oldest son, who likes the
convenience of not having to worry about combing (or washing!) His unruly curls,
always goes for the shortest, a number 1. My youngest on the other hand, who was
blessed with straight, manageable hair, had just taken a number 7. Previous
experience under the drape had taught me that a number 4 was just perfect for
me, and I cheerfully answered, "The usual!"
The haircut was going as planned and we were laughing and joking about our
Christmas basement flood and all of the other trials we had gone through lately.
Why not laugh? We felt like we'd already hit rock bottom, we could only go up
from there!
At least that's what WE thought!
While laughing at one of my jokes, my wife dropped her buzzer on the floor. She
was still laughing as she picked it up and she continued my haircut by running
it the entire height of my head. Then the laughter died on her lips: "Oh, no!"
I generally tend to tense when I hear these words. I don't know why.
"Uhhh . . . You're NOT going to be happy with me!"
My alarm system was sounding loud and clear as I rose from my seat, drape and
all, and directed my gaze to the mirror. My mouth dropped open in absolute
horror. I looked like a half-demented Mongol that had woken up on the wrong side
of the bed! One side of my head looked great, but the other side had a bald
stripe, three centimeters wide and 10 centimeters long, running right down the
middle of my head! It looked so ridiculous that it was almost funny!
"I don't know what I can do about it!" Cried my wife in obvious despair.
For some reason, the only thing I could think about was my colleagues. I could
already hear them, when I returned to work the following Monday: "Hmmmm.
Interesting hairdo you have! Are you trying to start a new fashion? Or is there
more to it?"
"What happened?" I asked, trying to stay calm.
"I guess when I dropper the buzzer or whatever you call it, the attachment fell
off!" She answered. "I didn't notice it until I had cut that stripe!"
I decided right there and then that the best recourse to this unexpected event
would be to shave the rest of my head. People would look at me funny, but at
least I could respond with: "I tried to join the army, but for some reason, they
turned me down!"
At the moment, however, my poor wife needed comfort: "It isn't your fault," I
reassured her.
My words didn't have their desired effect however, and given half a second to
think about what I had said, I realized there had been a slight amount of
untruth to them . . . I decided on another line of reasoning. "These things
happen to anyone. We need to look on the bright side! I won't have to worry
about drying my hair in the morning!"
The rest of that haircut was done in a rather subdued manner, and when it was
finished, my wife told me I looked "stylish". I don't know if she meant it, or
if she was just trying to make me feel better. A few seconds after she went
downstairs, I heard my boys running up the stairs and storming into my room.
Then they stood staring at me, mouths gaping open.
"You like it?" I asked.
"Euh… It looks different," was the encouraging response from my youngest.
"I love it! Now you look like me!" Exclaimed my oldest, proudly showing his
number 1 buzz cut.
With all the haircut troubles, we were nearly late for our movie, but standing
in line behind us at the cinema was one of my colleagues. She didn't recognize
me (it's amazing what less hair can do!). When I finally took the courage to
talk to her, this was her reaction:
"Uhhh . . . You cut your hair!"
I decided then and there to start wearing the fur hat my mother-in-law had given
me for Christmas. That way, when anyone meets me in the hall, I will not have to
make some lame excuse about my wife cutting my hair. I can simply say: "You've
entered the twilight zone!"
Do you think they will allow me to wear my hat at work?
After this incident, the following text took a new meaning to me: "But not a
hair of your head will perish. By standing firm you will gain life." (Luke 21:18
NIV).
When we are faced with trials, there are always two ways we can respond. We can
fuss, complain and mutter, in general making everyone else feel miserable as
well; or we can take it with a smile. After all, we can't change our
circumstances-there was no way I could paste that hair back on my head!-but we
sure can change our attitudes! And relying on Jesus, no matter what the
circumstances, will always help us to take it with a smile!
Let us take Paul's words to heart: "Do not be anxious about anything, but in
everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to
God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your
hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (Phil 4:6-7 NIV)
Only Jesus can help us be at peace with ourselves when bad circumstances engulf
us in their grip. What is there to worry about, anyway? With Jesus living in us,
we have the most precious treasure anyone can have! "And surely I am with you
always, to the very end of the age." (Matt 28:20 NIV)
P. S. Do you like my new hat???
Rob Chaffart
The Illustrator: This daily newsletter is dedicated to encouraging
everyone to look towards Jesus as the source of all the solutions to our
problems. It contains a daily inspirational story, a Bible verse and encouraging
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The Nugget: Published three times a week, this newsletter features inspirational devotionals and mini-sermons dedicated to drawing mankind closer to each other and to Christ.