Proof that I can spiritualize ANYTHING:

Shampoo and Conditioner

As I was showering (2nd time this week -- eve'buddy say yeaahhh!) I started to realize that the journey of faith is like shampoo and conditioner. Really. Here it is:

Shampoo = salvation. The minimum. My hair (life) is dirty, grungy, flaky, stinky, flat, stringy and slick. Here's something to make it all go away -- the miracle of shampoo (faith in Christ - the salvation experience). Oh, yeah. This feels good, mostly. I mean, it smells nice and don't we usually realize how dirty we really were only after we start getting clean? Reminds me of camping, but that's another (spiritual) story.

Now, getting those tangles out =O Yikes! That's gonna hurt some. Kind of like dying to flesh, self, desires, plans...but you have the option of shampooing over them, you know. Just get those knots clean and leave 'em be. But don't try to put in a ponytail (have I lost every male reader yet?).

But, for the sake of the analogy, let's say we go ahead and get out the wide-tooth hippie comb and work those rats out (in the South, they're rats). It takes some time, and more hot water than my tank holds, but it's worth it. Hair's clean, life's turned around, and gee, it smells terriffic!

Now, I have a choice: go the extra step and condition, or jump out of the shower to see why all the lights keep flickering off and on (did I mention I have 4 kids? Is there really a "safe" time to shower?).

To me, conditioner represents taking that extra bit of time and effort to fortify my relationship with God. Time in prayer, in the Word, in service to others. It conditions my life and makes it more attractive and manageable.

Anyone who has seen me knows that my hair is a naturally curly cosmic joke that can only be controlled with the diligent and routine application of harsh chemicals and extreme heat. Conditioner is a MUST. Without it, my very clean hair resembles something out of a 70's ABC After School Special. It's clean, but I can't really do anything with it. Enter my good friend the Ultra Conditioner!! A few minutes after every shampoo and my tresses are manageable!

Faith without works is dead. Be doers of the Word, and not hearers only. Lather, rinse, repeat. And don't forget to condition.