The Unexpected Haircut

If there is one thing the pandemic has taught us, it is how to be self-sufficient—especially how to save money, because we can never tell how permanent our jobs really are. It was during this time that I learned to braid [put extensions into] my hair, with the help of what I call the “University of YouTube.” I always knew how to comb and style my hair.

But when I needed to have it braided, I visited styling professionals so that they could do what they do best. During the COVID-19 lockdown, most hair salons and barber shops were closed. The best I could do when having an opportunity to get out and about for a bit was to purchase hair extensions myself and experiment. Though I had no place to go, I still wanted my hair to look decent. Little by little, my practice made “improvement,” and I got quite good at choosing the right texture of synthetic hair and doing my own installations. One day I discovered some hair that was very affordable and closely resembled my hair.

I thought, This will work since I try to keep styles as natural looking as possible. From time to time, I experimented with various textures. With each trial, I have always come back to the hair that most closely resembles mine. I never dreamed that very hair would get me into trouble! Later, when it was time to take out my synthetic braids, I started cutting them out. Then, with astonishment, I realized that I had just cut out a length of my own hair, not the fake, synthetic hair! I had accidentally cut about two inches of my own hair! Because of the fake’s resemblance to the real, I had not been able to tell the difference.

All I could do was laugh it off. After all, it would grow back again—and no one would see it in the meantime. However, it did make me think.

When we allow ourselves to get so caught up and entangled in the lies of this world and what it has to offer, the time may come when we will no longer distinguish God’s truth from the devil’s lies. When that happens, we will risk “cutting out” God’s truth from our lives. God gave us His holy Word so we can know the truth, and when the counterfeit comes along, we can clearly identify it and cut that out of our lives forever.

Candy Monique Springer-Blackman