Growing up, the only bone of contention between my mother and me that I can recall, came about when it was time for her to do my hair. Even before this contest began, I felt her angst as she braced herself for what was sure to be my struggling against that dreaded, and evil in my eyes, tool of destruction called a comb. We had it out! My mother’s hair was thinner than mine. It was long, but wavy and easy. Water made it friendly to even a brush. My mane was shoulder length, thick, tightly coiled and tangled; especially after a wash. Water made it shrink instantly, and there was little forgiveness, regardless of any product we used and was available at the time. If we had known better, we would have had an easier time of it, but the precision and better techniques of ‘Black hair care’ was not quite on the cusp of consciousness. It hadn’t made it to my little neck of the woods. So the struggle was real.
When beautifully packaged perms for African American hair hit the drugstore in our town, we were probably the first in line. At nine years old, the straightening comb and I parted ways after years of combat, and the white cream in a round plastic jar became my new bestie—or so I thought.
When a problem is tangled and difficult, we will often feel as though our options are extremely limited. Wisdom teaches us to be leery of remedies that aren’t tried and tested, but once we deem that a thing can be trusted, our guards come down pretty quickly and we proceed, sometimes without caution. It was kinky and unruly, and it never dawned on me to see my 4C hair as beautiful. I saw it the same way that perhaps thousands of other girls like me viewed their hair, as something that needed to be tamed and straightened, so that we would fit into what society deemed as the norm.
Today, thousands of Women of Color no longer see their natural hair as anything but luxurious and lovely. They wear it with a kind of elegance and distinction we haven’t seen since the seventies. So what has changed?
One of the things that has definitely changed for many women is their unwillingness to accept societal definitions about what is beautiful. In like manner, as Christians we, too, must make a shift from caring so much about how the world defines things, and only cling to what God’s Word says. 1Corinthians 13:12(NLT), the Apostle Paul wrote, “Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.” Seeing things as God sees them is not only a goal for us as His children, but it is a life-long process. We see things imperfectly, and the more we grow in our knowledge of God’s Word, the greater our vision becomes. We will see spiritually, as well as naturally.
Heavenly Father is a God of order, and He has beautifully orchestrated every single detail, from the tiniest to the largest, regarding the workings of this universe. Nothing happens by happenstance. Everything that occurs does so with a purpose. God’s Word tells us in Ecclesiastes 3:1 (KJV), “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.”
A season is a period of time that is marked by certain patterns. Just like the four seasons of the weather, a season of life serves to remind us to prepare for change. It will also bring with it greater access to information that will aid our preparation. So often we miss this. When our vision is skewed, or we lack sufficient information to make optimal decisions, we will make a decision or choice that is ill-informed, but seems appropriate at the time. We don’t look outside our comfort zones for greater insight, although the season we’re in might require it. I made a decision to continue perming my thick tresses for over thirty years because it never dawned on me that natural hair, in all its kinky splendor, was an equally beautiful and healthier choice. A higher consciousness surrounding all things natural has ushered in a renewed appreciation for natural hair for Women of Color. Even though it is one chiefly esthetic in nature, the implications we probably all agree, bring liberty in many other areas of womanhood.
Gray, black, blonde, straight, nappy, long, or short…all of it is a blessing from God, but when many of us look in the mirror, sometimes that’s not what we see. This demonstrates for us the fact that the appreciation and utilization of a blessing can be diminished or enhanced by the season we’re in. All of us have particular seasons in our lives, and they are not necessarily based on our ages, but more so based on the time that God has appointed for us to move to the next level of growth in Christ. I believe there are four seasons to this move: revelation, reflection, renewal, and rewards.
Our options are never limited in Christ. Every blessing from God stems from our operation of the spiritual principles of faith; because it’s impossible to please Him without it. Ephesians 1:3 (KJV) declares, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.” God has already blessed us. It’s a done deal. There’s no way to get around it. And in order to appropriate what God has already done for us, you and I have to recognize what season we’re in, because this is exactly what is required of us to move in step with God’s Will.
If we do not take the time to recognize the season we’re in, and we do not develop the patience to endure and abide there until God’s purpose is fulfilled, we will have missteps that will ultimately cost us. To prevent this, we must be spiritually intelligent and be sure we hear from God. We owe it to Him and to ourselves to seek options that will expand our vision and optimize our walks in Christ where we are. This helps us to prepare for transition.
He knows our destinies. He knows where we’re supposed to be, when we’re supposed to be there, and how to get us there; but hear me and please hear me well, we will not reach the mountaintop before we learn to climb. There’s an order that must be followed. A lot of us want the rewards, and we haven’t received a revelation; we haven’t taken the time to ask and seek God for His Will in our lives. We don’t know our purpose; and therefore, we’re in no position to impact this earth with the culture of the Kingdom, which should be the primary objective of any Christian living in the earth.
We might make the mistake of thinking that God is withholding our blessing, but His Word assures us this isn’t the case. You and I are solely responsible for appropriating the blessings of God by living His Word and walking in the destiny He has appointed for us. If you are in a place where you are not seeing certain things, or you are not demonstrating a high level of gratitude for where you are, you need a revelation. We can’t rush this. We have to recognize that the Holy Spirit knows the very best way to help us, and he will help to position us according to the purpose of the Father.
The elliptical rotation of the earth around the sun causes the seasons to change within this planet. Our revolution in Christ produces the same effect. It is the power of God’s son, the Christ, and a greater knowledge of his reality and resurrection that causes the seasons to change in our lives. Working together with our minds and hearts, it causes a transformation within each of us that brings us closer to Heavenly Father, and ushers us into a new dimension of blessings and growth.
Spiritual intelligence requires that we recognize that we’re not seeing all that we need to see regarding the reality of who we are in Christ and what we ought to be doing in him. There’s so much more to come. So we can never rest in a place of arrogance or ignorance regarding the knowledge we currently have in our arsenals. If we will learn to recognize the season we’re in, be it revelation, reflection, renewal, or rewards; we’ll build our expectations based on Jesus Christ and not on appearances or the flesh. We’ll have the insight, humility, and fortitude to be wholly thankful for where we are with the blessings we have, and we’ll be poised with confidence for the transformative and beautiful journey forward. ■
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
“Recognizing the Season You’re In” written by Reverend Fran Mack, edited by Kim Times for Sundie Morning Sistas ©2016. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord! SMS is dedicated to inspiring and encouraging Christian Women through the Word of God.