Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Vanity Vanity All Is Vanity *


Greetings and Holykisses dear friends!!

Have you noticed that the word "vain" is a four letter word?
In one of my latest blogposts I remember confessing to yall how vain I am. I think I've
always denied that; thinkin how can someone "shabby" be vain? That's kind of an oxy-moron isn't it? I didn't say shabby-chic, I said, "just shabby."
Well I started realizing just how vain I can truly be, the day after I got my latest haircut. Don't get me wrong, my haircut wasn't my hairdresser's fault. She only tried to give me what I asked for! I've had this gal's picture saved to a folder on our computer for 2 years now; saving it because I just loved her hair. It was super short though and I never thought I'd dare go that short. But just in case,... I saved it. Last week, ... feeling brave, I relocated it; printed it off, and called to make an appointment.

Yall the woman in my picture must be well- over 10 years younger than me, ... a good 15-20 pounds lighter,... and she's bleach blonde. Do you see any resemblance between she and me at all I ask? Before my hair dresser was even half finished, I knew I'd made a huge error. I tried so hard to remain calm. I still tipped her well, and never cried; not once. lol But I knew.*

Driving home, I glanced at myself in my rear view mirror and said, "Girl what have you gone and done." I dreading seeing my beloved, who's opinion matters most to me. But "Myguy" is a man of both intelligence and heart. First he asked, "How do you like it?" I looked at him, and said, "I hate it, ... I feel so ugly.... WHY did I do this? I want my hair back!!!!!" He hugged me tight, and said, "I think you're beautiful." (how did I get him?) !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He always knows the right thing to say.

For the next two days, I washed, dried, played with, flat- ironed, curled, and kept watering my hair. I'm a gardener. Water makes things grow right? "Grow hair, dadgummit, grow!!!" Yes I really swore a dadgummit at my hair. -- Does anyone have any extra prenatal vitamins for me? I hear they make hair and nails grow. Of course, I'm only kidding but don't think it didn't cross my mind of seeing if my doctor could prescribe me some. Me vain? Not that much.* No, not me.

So days were starting to go by. Everywhere I still go, people's first words to me are "Why'd ya cut your hair all off?" Meanwhile, I've had this "thing" growing on the front of my neck. For the last couple months this ugly warty-uglythang had grown quite a lot. I knew it wasn't right, and made thee appointment to have it checked out and removed.

As they call my name in the doctors office, they put me in exam room 2. My short hair begins to curl because I hate that room! Imagine this: when Exam 2's door is opened, and the lobby waiting room door is opened at the same time... everyone in the waiting room can SEE YOU in exam 2. No joke. (great) Once inside, the nurse looks at the ugly growth and says, "Oh yes, she'll want to remove that!" She returns with a shiny tray lined with a blue cloth, and sharp instruments; including a needle full of clear liquid!! ( See when I went there, I just assumed they'd freeze it off. I planned fully on freezing!!!*) Don't ya just love us patients who diagnose ourselves, by googling our own ailments and then decide how even the procedure should be carried out?

The nurse opens the drawer under the bed with stirrups and pulls out a paper shirt and hands it to me. "Take everything off above the waist, including your necklace and put this on."
"But I wore this tanktop under my button up, so you can get to it without me undressing," I argued. "But we don't want to get blood on it, so you'll need to take it all off and put this on," she insisted.
"Blood?" Ohoh* This was goin from bad to worse.

The nurse left and I started shaking. I turned my back to the dreaded door that could possibly ruin my life! I reached for the paper shirt and when I tried to pull it apart to open it up, it ripped in two pieces. I'm so serious. I now held two halves of a paper shirt. Trying to cover myself, I run to thee exam table and open the drawer that I'm pretty sure I'm not supposed to be in. Finally, finally after a frenzy, I was wearing a paper shirt. I'm shaaaaking...eyeballin that needle, and waiting for what seemed like an eternity. All of a sudden a verse popped into my head.
"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."
I start reciting it. Then I looked up and see the paper towel dispenser above the sink. It has pharmaceutical stuff written on it and an emblem. Inside the emblem it said "I CAN DO IT." No joke. Calm..... started taking over. By the time the good doctor strolled in, I was chilled out; (literally) under my paper top. Inside my head, I'm saying over n over, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

The procedure didn't take very long at all. She said it would sting for around 10 seconds and then I wouldn't feel anything else. Around second 7 she asked how I was doin? "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me," were thee only words that came out of my mouth. "Good," she replied.

The ugly growth was removed, and she sent it off just to make sure it wasn't anything cancerous. Later in the day, I had to go back in and have another pressure bandage put on coz it started bleeding like a stuck hog at home. But today it seems fine. I'm glad the growth is gone, but it's not thee only thing removed yesterday. Hopefully some of my vanity was cut out as well.

You see, while I was there yesterday, I bumped into someone who I'm pretty sure, recently had plastic surgery. She's about my age, and she's always been really beautiful! At first glance; I was shocked. I could see slight bruising beneath her makeup, and her lips now look like Angolina's.
As I talked to her, the Lord wrapped His arms around me and whispered into my heart, "YOU ARE WONDERFULLY MADE." "SHE IS WONDERFULLY MADE..., MY DAUGHTERS, MAN LOOKS AT THEE OUTWARD APPEARANCE, BUT I LOOK AT YOUR HEARTS."

Vanity vanity all was vanity.



No more saying I'm so "vain." Our words are seeds.
And no more cussin out my hair with dadgummits. Forgive me Lord.
I am who I am. And in CHRIST, I'm strengthened.
Some of you have asked me to show a picture... --well; here it is... still just me.

Now remember,........ if you're feelin frumpy, old, ugly or less-than, Knock it off!!
You're wonderfully made. God sees your Heart!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Today is the 15th which means we're on Scripture memory verse 18 at the LPM Blog.
The Lord gave me this verse to memorize:

"Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and DEARLY LOVED, clothe yourself with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience." ~Colossians 3:12


Today, I'm purposefully packin up my vanity clothes and tossin em!
Compassion, kindness, HUMILITY, gentleness and PATIENCE, is the new fall wardrobe.

Love yall!

6 comments:

Yolanda said...

Lea, I'm having a TOTALLY HONEST moment with you, I LOVE YOUR HAIR CUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Took my breath away, you are so dadgummit CUTE.

I LOVE YOU like c.r.a.z.y.! Still wanna be my friend? ;-)

Mandy said...

First of all, your hair looks adorable.

Vanity is like a prison isn't it? It takes our freedom and our peace from us - I know that all too well!

Thanks for sharing your story and the scriptures.

Angela said...

Quite awhile back I did a post called A Vain and A Glutton...I so connected to this post sis...oh my how I ever!!

Hope all is well with that 'thingie' that they took out. ((hugs))

By the way, I DO love that style actually. You look adorable..hope that doesn't get your head inflated now,,lol. Your beautiful..God IS right!!

Laura said...

I think you look as cute as can be! You'll get used to it and love your short hair. I'm going in tomorrow for my "do". You've inspired me to go shorter!

Denise said...

I love your new look, but mostly, I love you my beautiful friend.

PCovi said...

Honestly girlie! That haircut is adorable! What are you carryin' on about??? You are sassy! Now walk like a puddleduck and hold your head up high.
I gotta tell you what I did...I found a pair of white capri jeans at Sears marked down to $17 and they fit really good so I decided to buy them knowin you can't wear white after Labor Day and all...
and I remembered I had a bottle of blue dye at the house! Ha! I'm gonna make me some blue jean capris and wear them until it gets too cold....
So I went up to pay and they were even cheaper! $10! In less than 2 hours I had dyed them, dryed them and ironed them and had them on for church!
I have been dye-ing to tell you about it ;)