Working with the wave.....

It's another hair post!  But, with deeper meaning, I hope.  All of my life I have had stick straight hair....like don't need a straightener straight.  But, then, I had kids.  Somewhere along the way of giving birth, I developed this crazy wave in my hair.  It isn't subtle at all, but like this huge undercurrent of wave on one side of my head.  It is just nuts...kind of like I have worn a ponytail in that section, then taken it out...you know, the big bump in the hair.  Yes, I have that lovely look going on.  {Side note, I will now be sitting in the back on church so this won't be analyzed by those behind me, lol!}

So, I have this wave that appeared out of no where that I really don't know what to do with it.  And, let's not bring in the stylist, because it looks perfect when I leave her.  For several reasons: 1. she is a pro, 2. she has the right tools, 3. she has two hands and the right angle to make it work better than me, 4. she isn't being needed when she is doing my hair by a small child who was kind enough to let me shower in peace.  So, there you have that....I digress......this wave.  It isn't on the top layer of hair, but the underside.  So it is rearing it's ugly head by the end of the day or if I exercise and don't shower right after and deal with it.

I hope you get the picture.  But, my point is this - I can either work with the wave and embrace it and try to deal with it, or I can work against it.  And, truth be told, I'm not sure what to do.  I'm sure working with it and embracing it would be easier.  However, as I think about it in a spiritual sense - are we called to do the easy thing?  Is the easy thing always right?  From my experience, no.  It would be easy to let my kids sit in front of the tv all day, not discipline them, not teach them and just do my thing all day.  Is that right, no!  Not to me, that isn't my ideal of how I want to raise my children.  {Not saying tv is bad, by the way.}   So, in that case it is easy, but it isn't in line with my beliefs, morals and values, so it isn't right for me.

So, let's say I work against it.....well, what are we supposed to work against?  Things not of Christ.  Is that easy?  No.  Is it right?  Yes.  I guess what I'm learning is we need to pray and submit all things to God and have Him speak into them before we go off and do them.

I realize I am way off topic here as this started with a hair issue, but it has made me think and I think it has some implications to it.  So, what waves in your life are you working with or against?

Resetting the Ruby

Growing up, my grandma had this beautiful ring that I adored!  It was a gift from my grandpa to her and it was very special.  My grandma was born in July, so the ruby was her birthstone.  This ring was beautiful - the ruby was in the center, with diamonds all around it.  Exquisite.  I remember wanting it when I was little and even being able to wear it on rare occasions.

Sadly, my grandma passed away several years ago.  When she passed, my mom was given this ring that I adore.  Now, my mom's birthday is not in July, but September.  When my mom received the ring, she had the birthstone changed from a ruby to her birthstone.  She then had a new ring created out of the ruby for me.  {Which was very nice, thank you mom.}  However, I was devastated that the ring I loved for so long was no longer in its original form.

Life has continued on in our families.  Since my grandmas death, we have had two littles.  One being an April baby, whose birthstone is a diamond and a July baby whose birthstone is a ruby.  Hmmm, just like that original ring, right?  Since Landon was born 3 years ago, I have been thinking of what a perfect representation that ring would be of my children's birthdays.  Through an interesting series of events, that ring is now mine.  For the longest time, I have wanted to have it changed back to its original setting with the ruby. I loved that it represents my children and my grandma.

We were back home again a few weeks ago and we took the ring to our small town jeweler there who was able to change the stones without charging an arm and a leg.  But, I had to wait even longer for them to come!  I'm happy to say that my ring arrived in it's {semi} original setting this week and I love it!  {I say semi because it had to be worked on, you know.}  I have had many thoughts on this ring which translate to faith journeys, so here we go:

That ring was beautiful and perfect in it's original form.  There was nothing wrong with it, but somewhere along the way, it was changed from it's original form and the way it was created to be.  What does that sound like?  Us - we are all born beautiful and perfect in our original form, but sin gets in and messes us up.  Or, we could even take it back to Adam and Eve.  They were perfect in their original form, but sin changed them too.  Frequently, I desired the ring to be back in it's original form, but the conditions had to be right for that to happen - money, time, location, etc.  It was a process that didn't happen overnight.  Much like our sanctification doesn't happen overnight.  It is a process of Jesus working on us.  And, then, once I knew it was happening, I still had to wait!  The refining fire of the Holy Spirit doesn't happen overnight, sanctification is an ongoing process.  We can either embrace it or work against it.

I will say that once my ring arrived and it was as it should be {in my mind}, it was symbolic of things being right.  Things that have been not right are being reset and becoming right.  It is a beautiful picture to me of so many things:

- What Jesus does in us if we are open to it.
- Things being set correctly, as they should be.
- It takes time to reset things, it doesn't happen overnight, but it does happen.
- Jesus is the ultimate re-setter.  He is the only one who can make things as they need to be.

I think that the Lord gave me this picture and image, because I need the visual reminder!  I'm thankful that I can look down at my finger and be reminded of this truth -

"He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." ~ Phil. 1:6

Be blessed today!