Life and Perms

I finally gave up.

I needed a new hair dresser/stylist/whatever the modern, politically correct word is. I’m so frugal that I get a perm and a trim, and I’m good for months. So long in fact, that my former provider has moved on and the business doesn’t even have my contact information. Truly, the last bit of anything other than trimming was nearly a year ago.

There was a mom at my church who I knew juggled hours and buckets of time. Her kids weren’t even out of elementary school. Her hubby’s often on the road. I knew her parents from other things.

A perfect small-town fit for a sentimental professional who’s rebooting her life at the request of her former and current employers… *sighs*

She was amazed at how much perm was left. She worked, we chatted, I sat. At the end, as she was reviewing perm care, I was repeating the words with her… no washing for 48 hours, try to space out the washings, get a few hair care products to take care of the hair we’ve just damaged.

I knew from experience that the tips would work. I knew from the experience of others that not following the tips would result in green hair or the perm not taking. I also knew from the Internet that some tips were just plain bunk.

And it’s like that with life. There are tips for managing life all over the world in all sorts of media — print, digital, you name it. Some you know work from experience, some you know work from the experience of others, and some are just bunk.

As a Christian, all my life tips are found in the Bible. I know some of you don’t accept it as valid, and I know some of you don’t accept it with the same level of validity as I do.

Every time I’ve had a problem in life, it’s usually tied back to a tip from the Bible that I just didn’t use. And every time I’ve been blessed to start putting my life back together, it’s usually some tip from the Bible that encourages me to take action.

But, then again, maybe this analogy is just the product of a few too many perm fumes…

All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching and for showing people what is wrong in their lives. It is useful for correcting faults and teaching how to live right. Using the Scriptures, the person who serves God will be ready and will have everything he needs to do every good work. — 2 Timothy 3:16–17, International Children’s Bible