Yellow Corn Meal and Church

Yesterday was one of my "Perils of Pauline" days.

I got in the shower, got out, got dressed. I looked in the mirror and realized I hadn't washed my hair. I muttered to myself, "From the time I stepped into the shower until the time I stepped out of it, how could I have forgotten to wash my hair?" Since I was already dressed, I was not about to get back into the shower.

As a teenager in the south, we sometimes used white cornmeal to get oil out of our hair when we didn't have time to wash it. So, I went looking for cornmeal. I found some but it was yellow. I had the option of going to church with greasy hair or using it. I opted for the cornmeal.

I poured cornmeal on my head and rubbed it in. A cloud of yellow dust filled the bathroom. I shook out all the cornmeal, or so I thought. I looked down at my clothes. A line of cornmeal began at my top and ended at the bottom of my nice black pants. After much dusting, I had taken care of that.

As I started to walk out of the bathroom, I looked in the mirror. A layer of yellow cornmeal circled my shoulders. I wondered if the church members would just think I had yellow dandruff. I dusted off the "dandruff." As I turned to go, I noticed more yellow cornmeal falling on my shoulders. More shaking and dusting. I then realized it would have been faster to undress and get back into the shower! That was not an option now if I planned on attending church at all.

Do you remember Pigpen, the kid in the Peanuts cartoon? He walked about in a cloud of dust. Well, I'm sure that's what the church members thought as I walked by. But, my hair looked pretty good. Except for the slightly yellow cast!

Do you think God cared if I had yellow hair or that yellow "dandruff'" encircled my shoulders? I think not. I think God was pleased I was there no matter what I looked like!

Maybe we put too much emphasis on how we look when we go to church and not enough on why we are there, to worship and adore God, the creator of the universe and Jesus, his son and our Savior!

Hoping I remember to wash my hair next Sunday because it will make my life easier, Gloria