Please Stand Still

I did not need my seven year old to tell me she was irritated with me. The exasperated sigh. The slumped shoulders. The begrudging shuffle into the bathroom. They were obvious indicators of her less than cheery attitude.

Undeterred, I set about our morning ritual. With a bottle of detangler, a hairbrush, and a blow-dryer, I worked to get Katie’s unruly hair to calm down and look presentable for school. But that particular morning, she wanted nothing to do with our routine.

“Why do we have to do this every day?,” she questioned with great dramatic flair and lots of sighing. “My hair looks fine to me.”

Indeed, Katie was quite right. From the front her hair did look fine. I quickly explained to her that although she could not see the mess on the back of her head, everyone else around her would be able to see it. I then went on to let her know that I, as a loving mother who does not want her daughter to be subjected to much teasing, would still be straightening her hair out. Thank you very much and please stand still.

As she resigned to the inevitable, a verse popped into my mind. I realized our exchange was about much more than hair.

“How can I know all the sins lurking in my heart?

I have sin in my life. Sin I can see, and sin I cannot see. Hidden sins lurking in my heart. But just because I cannot see those sins does not mean everyone else is blind to them. My unruly heart may be waving for all the world to see, like a shock of untamed hair sticking up on the back of my daughter’s head. Yikes!

How I need this kind of reminder. I need to take the condition of my heart seriously. I need to take the issue of my sin seriously! That means letting God take a close look at my heart daily. It means asking the Holy Spirit to reveal to me those places I cannot see on my own. And it means being still long enough for the Lord to be able to do His work of straightening out this wayward heart of mine.

How thankful I am for the way He interrupts my ordinary life to show me His extraordinary truths, for how He speaks to me through my children. And I am oh so thankful He is patient and loving as He has to tell me over and over and over again to please stand still.