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Monday, March 21, 2011

Cleansing, Inside and Out

I used to use Aveda products exclusively on my hair ~ shampoo and conditioner. This was years and years ago. I remembered that after a while, these products were affecting me negatively. I don’t remember whether it was the fragrance, the price, or what it was, but I decided to switch to different products. I think I switched to some organic tea tree oil stuff. Anyways, over the years, I’ve noticed that my scalp and hair tend to become immune to shampoos. Suddenly, my hair no longer feels clean, even after lathering 2 or 3 times. I have no idea why this happens, but it happens consistently. It happened again, recently. I have been rotating between 2 or 3 shampoos over the past year or two, and now none of them are really working. So I thought I’d try Aveda again. I don’t know how this will work out, and I’ve only used the shampoo twice. So far my hair feels clean for a longer time, and time will tell. (This is not an Aveda endorsement!)

Sometimes this happens with me in my relationship with the Lord … how I worship, what ministers to me musically, the prayers that I speak. I get used to doing things in a certain way and suddenly realize, “this music is no longer cleansing; in fact, it’s rather irritating.” Or I can listen to someone ministering His word, hear the scripture that’s going to be taught on, and think, “yeah, yeah, yeah, how many times have I heard teaching on this one…” Sorry, maybe your mind doesn’t go there, but mine does.

Kirk Franklin had a hit album (CD) with the song “Stomp” on it. I have it somewhere around here, and haven’t picked it up to listen in a long time. I listened to that music over and over and over until it just became kind of stale to me. I was at my son’s Black History Month presentation at school, and the director of the production had this Kirk Franklin music playing. A song, I think the name of it is, “My Life Is In Your Hands” started to play. Sitting there in the junior high gym, I closed my eyes, sang along, and wept. It was fresh again, it was anointed, and it felt new.

Sometimes that which is old becomes new again. That’s how His word can be. Hebrews 4:2 says, “The word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith." Sometimes I can hear His word over and over, and until my faith is mixed in, I don’t get it. But when I do, yahoo!! God can satisfy our thirst with new wine, even though it may really be old wine. Mix faith with the old and even in unlikely circumstances, our “thirst” can be quenched.

I don’t know what will happen with the shampoo issue. I don’t have faith in the shampoo, yet I’ll keep trying. But with God, I’ll recognize those arid and dry places and mix it up a bit and will likely come back around to something old.

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