The Salon

Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are his. He changes times and seasons; he sets up kings and deposes them. Daniel 2:20-21

Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble? Job 2:10

Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor? Romans 11:33-34

I write today and share these photos today, because I'm full of joy. Late this afternoon, the girls came to my "salon," and got a hair wash, sponge curlers, and fingers and toes painted (90 digits painted in all by the time I was done, including my own toes!).

There are several reasons for my joy right now. One reason is that I got to do something fun and girly with my girls, and be a blessing to them. I do not do big things like this very often at all. We may throw some paint on our nails now and then, but we've never played salon, all 5 of us. Yes, BB gladly sat this activity out, other than snapping photos for me.

The biggest cause for my joy this evening, though, as I look back at these photos is this: being able to do this with them and for them signifies a change of seasons in my life. It's coming out of a season of survival-mode...out of a stretch of time in which all I could do was the necessary: train them in the Lord, feed them, clothe them. This new season may not last long, or it may last a while. The duration is not important. What is important is to thank and praise the Savior for such mercies - the mercy of an easier season, and thanks for the mercy of the hard one we've passed through.

The past two years have been....intense. It's been sleep-deprivation like I never thought possible. It's been God saying "Wait." A lot. He's said, "Wait. And praise Me in the waiting." The struggles and trials have not been monumental, but rather many little, exhausting, often confusing things piled one on top of the other without a break. But in all this, He has changed me. By His grace, I am a different person now.

And so you see my joy. I think I have let it all hang out tonight. And oh my, the house is a wreck, because I was at work in the salon tonight for so long. It was worth it. God is good. And these girls are a gift, to be sure.

What about you? In what season has God placed you? Praise Him for His good purposes in your season, even if you cannot see what those purposes are. Know that He wants to use all we face to make you and me more like Christ. Often He'll choose suffering, inconvenience, discomfort, confusion, and then other times He chooses a pleasanter path for us that can refresh our hearts.

For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen. Romans 11:36