21 Days of Hope - Day 4
01.13.21 | Articles, 21 Days of Hope
January 13
Wednesday, Day Four
“So Sampson told Delilah his whole secret, and said to her, ‘A razor has never come upon my head; for I have been a nazirite to God from my mother’s womb. If my head were shaved, then my strength would leave me; I would become weak, and be like anyone else.’” ~ Judges 16:17
“Hair Love”
Dear God,
I want to thank you for something you did long ago, when I was a child, when you showed me that my skin was beautiful.
Do you remember how I was looking at the colors of my hand – all the shades that went into making my unique brown – how I was admiring the careful blending, thinking “how lovely” and you chimed in with, “Yes, it is, isn’t it?” I love you for that comment. When I grew older, I realized that very few people shared our love for my skin. Everywhere I looked there were ads for things to bleach my color out. I even bought some, once. It burned. Even so, I kept it for a long time, because I wanted to be beautiful and the world was telling me this is how to do it. Forgive me for losing faith. And that reminds me of something else. Remember how I used to wish that I didn’t have to straighten my hair, how I wanted to just let it be itself? I can do that now, and it’s wild and joyful in the wind, and I love you for giving it to me because it just exactly expresses who I am in my soul.
But here is what I’m really praying about. I want to ask you to help people understand that just because I love what you have made me doesn’t mean I don’t love what you have made them. I think that’s part of our problem – we can only see one kind of beauty at a time when you have created so many different varieties. You’re just too darned generous, God. We can’t take it. But I think if you work with us, we can try. We have to...
You know, God, the other day a little boy about my same color told me that he wanted to be white. I asked him why. He said he didn’t know, he just thought it would be better.
by Angela Boatright
21 Days of Hope, as a devotion, is a journey through scripture, prayer, and resources that can move those of us who are white toward a closer understanding of racism in our country and the experience of our black and brown brothers and sisters.
