28 Jun
ALL THE COLORS OF THE…HAIR?
The year was 2002 and I was in grade 11. My high school and junior high years had been an unpredictable road, filled with trials and tribulations. I was in a constant struggle with the powers of self-doubt that threatened to engulf my entire world. Many battles were waged behind daunting school walls, but none were as fierce as the ever-growing desire to be cool. Then one day, inspiration hit me.
In my attempt to be accepted and admired, I had made many changes in my life: I switched my clarinet for a set of drums; I replaced my mushroom haircut with a “spikier” one; I started buying jeans instead of sweat pants; and I traded in my Star Wars books for…uh…harder-to-read Star Wars books.
I thought I had tried everything, but still the ladies took no notice of me! I thought I had run out of options when I got an idea…an awful idea…I got a wonderful, awful idea! I would dye my hair! The best way to get girls to notice me was to drastically change my appearance! But not just any careless moderation of the tresses would do. My hairdresser worked her magic, and when she spun my chair around, I gazed at the masterpiece she had created. The sides and back were my natural brown, the top was bleached blonde and the bangs in front were a bright fire-engine red. It was perfect! However, the room in the hairdresser’s studio was rather dark, and when I stepped into the light I realize that it was not so much red as…oh please no…PINK! I HAD PINK HAIR!
Horror struck me as I realized I had to face my classmates in less than 15 hours. In desperation, I called my cousin Anita and made her buy every hair dying kit she could find and rush to my rescue. We decided to bleach the pink out and leave the top blonde, but after five different attempts to strip the color from my locks, the pink was still visible. To make matters worse, somehow word made it to my school before I did, and I had been dubbed “Mike Pinkaby.” On the bright side, people DEFINITELY noticed me the next day.
As Christians, do people notice us? Do we stand out in a crowd? If so, is it positive recognition? The sad reality is most Christians are known for what they don’t do rather than what they do; people know what they are against but have no idea what they are for. Matthew 5:16 says, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” When people look at me, I want them to see Jesus. I want everything I do to point towards the God who saved me. I don’t want people to notice me; I want them to see God. God is the light in our lives, but how bright is that light shining?
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Filed in: Evangelism, Purpose
About the Author
Mike Blackaby is a 22 year old student who plays guitar in a rock band, loves to snowboard, play hockey, and cheers for the Colorado Avalanche. He is terrified of spiders, but loves reading fantasy novels, watching movies, taking road trips, building camp fires, and will do any roller coaster if someone goes with him. You can contact him via Facebook.
Read more about Mike here.
