I can always tell when we’re at the beginning of a new season. Not by a wanky knee or Granny’s weather beetle. Nothing like that. No, I can tell by the sudden need to refigure the frizz to hair-product ratio. Time to check out the atmos-hair-ic condition. Percent relative humidity times the circumference of your head, divided by the barometric pressure, times the wind velocity, then multiplied again by how important it is for you to look good for a meeting.
Most days when I’m breaking in a new season, I work way too long to get a “meets basic approval” kind of hairdo. The look that’s close enough. And then I spray it like there’s no tomorrow. Spray where no one has sprayed before. Not just a little fluff. Maximum-crazy-overspraying. I spray until my head has its own little low orbit of hairspray.
Frighteningly, there have been days when even the spray can’t successfully create a good between-seasons do. Nevermind that I spray until I cause an orange alert air quality day all by myself. Those days are the “floppy hat, sunglasses and extra red lipstick” days.
Lest you think me shallow…. Okay yeah, we all already know I can be pretty shallow. But even so, I do know that the hair of the season is not a major life concern. Of course, so many of the things people tend to orbit around turn out to be just a lot of canned air.
Paul told believers that he prayed they would “approve the things that are superior,” (Philippians 1:10, HCSB). The NLT phrases it as: “I want you to understand what really matters.”
So how do we know what’s worth a good orbit and what’s merely fluff? Paul’s prayer was actually rather centered on the process. It’s about that growth. “And I pray this: that your love will keep on growing in knowledge and every kind of discernment, so that you can approve the things that are superior and can be pure and blameless in the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God,” (Philippians 1:9-11, HCSB).
It’s not just any old kind of growth. It’s growth in love. It’s a love that gets smarter, wiser – more brilliant. One that leads to the glory and praise of God. And we can’t manufacture it on our own. Can’t find it, can’t borrow it – can’t spray it on. There’s only one way to get it. It “comes through Jesus Christ.” He does in and through us what we can’t do on our own when it comes to love. Again, in 1 Thessalonians 3:12, Paul says, “And may the Lord cause you to increase and overflow with love…,” (HCSB). The Lord causes love to increase—to maximum-wonderful-crazy-overflow.
Whatever season approaches, getting ready actually means allowing Christ full reign and then watching Him grow our love so that we’re ready to interact with His people. All people. Ready for any and every meeting.
And yes, if you’re looking for me in one of those meetings, sometimes you do have to check underneath the sunglasses and the floppy hat.