I want to share a funny story with you. A week or so ago I decided I wanted my hair cut short. Now, my regular hairdresser whom I have gone to for over 20 years will not cut it as short as I say I want it because she says she knows me and I won’t like it. This particular day I thought ‘fine, if she won’t cut it I will find someone who will.’ And I did. This person gapped my hair so badly, it was awful, some parts were extremely shorter than the other side which made it difficult to fix and impossible to hide the bad haircut.
I told my Mom I was going to see Brenda, my regular hairdresser. My Mom and sister both said ‘NO! don’t do that, she will be upset, wait and let it grow a month or so and then go see her.’
But I knew she was the only one that could possibly fix it. I knew her feelings might be hurt that I had done this but I knew she wouldn’t turn me away and I knew she would fix it if she could. I called and made an appointment with her for Monday; I didn’t say a word about the bad haircut.
The time came for my appointment; I hesitated just for a moment and walked on in. She took one look at me and shook her head. I said ‘I had a moment when I had to have a short cut and I just did it.’ She said ‘I can see that.’ As she started doing my hair, over and over she would say ‘oh Kim!’ But she fixed it the best she could and said I would have to let it grow for a while before she couldn’t straighten the other side up – but it looked a little better when I left.
As I was sitting there getting my hair cut I thought of how many times we do things or make mistakes and bring the results on ourselves and try to fix it ourselves instead of running to God. I thought of the times we sin and refuse to go to God because we are ashamed or we brought it on ourselves or whatever the reason is, we shy away from God. We shy away instead of running to the very one who can fix it.
Psalm 79:8 says God doesn’t remember our iniquities and his tender mercies come quickly.
Psalm 103:4-5 says Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, Who satisfies your mouth with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
Friends, we don’t need to run from God when we mess it or miss the mark, we need to run to God. It’s not like he doesn’t already know….he knows and he loves you anyway, he loves me anyway. He knows every time I make a bad decision but he is right there saying ‘come to me, I will show you mercy and help you walk through this.’ Just like my friend, Brenda. She knew I made a bad choice but she didn’t even mention it, she simply said ‘sit down, we will fix this.’ God is the same way.
I want to encourage those of you today who may have feel like you have messed up too much for God to bless you. Or you have not done what you need to do to walk in the blessings of God. Or those who think you have sinned and messed up and God could never use someone like you – to those I say…look at King David. Look at Abraham, look at Joseph. Look at Moses. God did not use perfect people, he did use those who ran to him when they messed up. He still does today. The only thing that can keep God from you is you. If you have strayed, come back, he is waiting for you.
Whatever is standing between you and God, repent, turn and run back to him, he can and will fix it. His mercies are new every morning…try him and see. I know they are for me, and I am so thankful.
