Hairless—but Not Hopeless!

by Beth Duewel

Those who have been ransomed by the Lord will return to Jerusalem, singing songs of everlasting joy. Sorrow and mourning will disappear and they will be overcome with joy. (NLV)

My daughter, Brittany, had surgery in 2005 to remove a brain tumor. Although the surgery was successful and found the tumor to be non-malignant but an unknown pathology, the procedure left her several months with no hair on the very top of her head. My teenager longed for locks.

 So, we set off on a little mother-daughter shopping "adventure." Arriving at the salon, we were greeted by a kind woman who smelled like mint and promised to “fix-er right up.”

First try—a wig pulled from the deep recesses of a cardboard box—right shade, wrong length. Second try: a dark, short, curly piece. The problem? My daughter’s remaining hair was blonde, long, and super straight.

 It was the third and final attempt, however, that left me wondering...what kind of “adventure” we were on? And could that be a squirrel sitting on top of my daughter’s head? The poor lady teased and wrestled with the hairy clump. Bless her heart; she even tried to tame it with mega-molding sprits. Nevertheless, the thing remained wild. Britt and I agreed to set it free, and left.

Even before we made it to the car, we were overcome with buckets of tears from laughter. The laughter turned to appreciation; appreciation turned to praise and prayer for God’s goodness and mercy. You see—God’s love is so complete that even in trials we can find joy.

(Used with permission by my daughter, who has lived the promise of what God can do through pain.)

Copyright © 2007 - Elizabeth Duewel. All rights reserved.