I had this therapeutic experience last night. About a week ago I got these crazy-fun extensions in my hair. I loved them! It totally made me feel like a rock star. I had to get them fixed on Saturday because it was too loose. Ever since then I’ve had a huge headache. No amount of Advil helped. I decided yesterday that I couldn’t take it anymore and tried to find someone to take them out for me, but no luck. I decided to wait another day and hopefully they would get better. I was getting ready for bed and noticed one was really loose and tried to fix it. When I did it fell out. I was like “Ok, it’s on now.” One by one I snipped the string that held fake hair in my head and watched it fall. As my head little by little started to feel better I began to realize that my fake hair was a metaphor for something very real to me. See, I have a good friend that is struggling through some major decisions right now. My heart breaks for her. I’ve prayed for her. I’ve cried for her. I’ve talked with and encouraged her. At the end of the day she’s still on the fence. And lets face it; life is much easier if you don’t have to think too much about spiritual stuff and consequences. I realized that if I asked her right now, “What makes you different from a non-Christian when it comes to your actions?” She probably wouldn’t have a lot to say. And that makes me so sad. I realized that we all have a bottom to hit when it comes to our sin. I did. I drank and partied with the best of them through out Athens until I hit a wall and realized I was becoming someone that I never wanted to be and I needed help. I finally got it and got into church and chose to have a personal relationship with Christ. It changed everything. I still made mistakes and poor choices but at the end of the day I can look myself in the mirror and be happy with who I am and what I see. I’m stronger because I choose Christ. I’m healthier because I haven’t let what someone did to me define me. I’ve worked hard and clung to Christ and for that I’m so grateful.

I want to be different. I don’t want to be just like everyone else in the culture. I want to be sharp, stylish and modest. Most of all I want to be me in Christ. So I let go of the fake hair. It was never really me anyway. And I surrender all my worries about my friend to Christ. It’s time for me to be ok with being called “straight-laced” and happy that people recognize that I’m different in that way from others.