You Wanna Pluck What?

It was the morning after the move and there was that one last “stuff that won’t fit in a box” load that had to be picked up from the house before we went to closing on the sale of our house in the afternoon.

Since one of the items was a heavy, rolled up rug, I needed to wake up my 14 year old for the haul.

After locking the empty house and pulling from the driveway, it felt good to be about done. 

As we drive back to our rental house, this bug starts swirling around my face.  I try to swat it away and even roll down my window a bit, with hopes it will get sucked out.

It escapes the vacuum of my window and moves to my daughter's side of the car.

And then it's gone.

I start to tell her the plans for the day, when I catch her staring wide eyed at me, not listening to a word if my story. "Mom!" she blurts, sharply.

"Oh my gosh, is that bug on me," I sputter, and one hand leaves the wheel to slap all patches of exposed skin near my neck.

"Mom," she articulates, eyes unwavering, "I'm sorry to interrupt, but I've got to know if that hair under your chin is attached."

(Yes…  You read that right!  As you laugh, realize that I am in the car with my mouth wide open in horror!)

"What?"  Is my only reply.

She continues, "Remember a long tome ago when you said you found a long hair growing from your neck and you were upset that no one told you?"

"Um, yeah..." I stutter in disbelief. As if in slow motion, I watch as she reaches across and I feel a gentle tug on my neck, just beneath my chin.

"Ugh!"  I risk a glance in the rearview.

Yep!  It's official!

I have grown a “stress whisker”, two inches long out of the middle of my neck, just below my jawline

And what's more...

It's BLACK!

I'm telling you, it was NOT there two days ago!!!

This crazy “Move in 30 Days” is what did this to me!

And all day long, each time I passed a mirror, or window reflection, or anything shiny…  I “checked my neck” to see if I missed any others.

And all day long, I sensed God telling me there was a reflection much deeper that I needed to examine.

He brought to mind a verse in James that says,

“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.  Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.  But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.”

James 1:22 - 25

It would never have entered my mind to look at that crazy “stress whisker” and leave it growing out of my neck for everyone else to see!

Are you kidding?  I was already contemplating how long it had been there, who had seen it, what they had thought, why they hadn’t told me, and on and on.

And so should we be about our behavior.

When we are seeking to grow closer to God and spend time with Him daily, He will point out flaws in our character.  He is telling us in James that the Bible is like a mirror.

It is wonderful to enjoy reading a beautiful Psalm for encouragement or a Proverb for its wisdom, but when James or Paul are telling us to develop our character, to be patient and to love others more deeply, then we need to pay attention; we need to reflect.

Reading the Bible is not just an assignment to check off our to-do list.  It is a mirror that can to help us to get dressed each day; to make certain we are “well-dressed” spiritually and reflecting God’s best to the world around us.

He wants us to see those ugly things growing out of our character.  He is our friend actually, for pointing them out before anyone else notices them.

“Whew, Thank You, Lord for catching that for me!”

Now I can leave the house more aware; I have seen my reflection and I’m lookin’ OK!

Paul wrote,

Philippians 1:6

“I’m convinced that God, who began this good work in you, will carry it through to completion on the day of Christ Jesus.”

He knew that the beauty of God’s plan for life is in the “becoming”.

And another friend of mine knows about the “beauty of my becoming”….

So, after I did the “plucking,” I texted my sweet friend and hairdresser.  I wanted to know if this was some oddity, or if it was possible that it would occur again.

And her reply?

“OM Goodness this aided in me going to get a new phone. I am so sorry.

BUT WELCOME TO THE GOAT HAIR CLUB!!!!

 had to go to the bathroom after reading.

Still giving me the best giggle.”

How’s that for vulnerable? 

Don’t think I’m not checking the mirror every day!