Bad Hair Day

Last summer my entire family – my parents, my siblings and all of our 18 children (all under the age of 15) - got together. We had a great time. And under the direction of my mother, we were obliged to take some family pictures.

However, the family pictures were taken AFTER everyone ate and AFTER all the children had time to run around.

So you can imagine how we all looked!

I had joined my family after I had participated in Baptisms for the Dead, so our family snapshot was captured on my worst hair day of the year. . .

My handsome husband was WAY over due for a haircut. . .

My good-looking children had chocolate smeared across their smirked, little faces, not to mention the red punch stains on their clothes . . .

All of my boys had their shirts tucked out . . .

And I won't say anything about my daughter . . .

So you gotta believe me when I say we were SO not ready for a 20x30 family photo you would see hanging on any living room wall!!!

We all pretty much looked like rolled around in a cave for weeks and had just came out to see the light.

Which was just fine! Until . . .

My brother turned all those lovely pictures into a family calendar.

And my dear father decided to send out COPIES (copies and copies) of these family photos for his Christmas Card 2009!

Now fast forward to just a few weeks ago.

My 12 year-old son, my husband and I were at the temple to perform Baptisms for the Dead.

As we were waiting, I recognized a woman who was in my ward before I left on my mission.

She knew my family well.

But I could tell that she was having a hard time figuring out who I was, because she @#!*% her head to the right a few times before she realized it was REALLY me!

When we did get to visit (reverently and quietly, because we were at the temple), the VERY first words that escaped her mouth were, “I thought that was you, but you wear your hair SO differently than in the Christmas Card your father sent me!”

Really?!

And that’s when I started to laugh.

And laugh.

And laugh!!

Because I DO NOT EVER – intentionally - wear my hair like I did in that family photo.

And so the reason she was making such funny faces at me (well, cocking her head and squinting), before recognizing who I was, was because that is how she seriously thought a person would wear their hair!!!
And after I got home and laughed it over with my husband, I thought “Oh I am so glad that the Lord sees me as I REALLY am!”

He could care less about my bad hair days! (Although, I think He does care about how I feel on those miserable days).

He’s not too concerned about my stature. (Thank goodness weight is not the weighing factor for entering the Celestial Kingdom – yes, pun intended).

He does not look at my financial status/credit score/investment properties/stocks as acceptance into His kingdom. (Excepting the tithing part. He expects at least that much of a financial obligation to enter into His kingdom. And a generous fast offering. And in being honest all financial dealings).

He doesn’t even care about my educational accolades. (What I am saying is that I don’t need to have a PhD – or have a high school education for that matter – to know that He lives and how to get back to Him. But I do believe He does care about what I DO with what I KNOW!).

For in spite less-than-picture perfect days, He looks upon our hearts and loves us STILL.

And then, when we choose to give our WHOLE heart to Him - He will change us . . . Make us even more beautiful in His sight.

Which hopefully will result in the day when we get to see Him again - Face to face - and He says,“Of course I know YOU because no one on earth has a heart (or hair) like you do!"