First Hair Cut

"Does my hair look pretty?" Charis asked with a nervous smile.

"Yes..."  THEN I realized what I was looking at!

"Charis Noelle!!" I gasped. My eyes watering ...She CUT HER HAIR!  I recently wanted to trim Charis hair, but she wasn't ready and neither was daddy. She said she loved long hair and didn't want to cut it. Daddy said he loved Charis hair the way it was. I had wanted her first cut to be a fun girl time and a memorable moment with pictures. She also had been warned out of my fear this could happen never to cut her hair or anything else I hadn't given to cut!

She burst into tears. Despairing tears. Remorse tears. Regret tears....I know those all to well in my own life. I immediately knew she needed grace. My heart suddenly was breaking for her and not myself. I scooped her up into my arms.This first hair cut got turned into a teaching opportunity of remorse and grace. Even as Joshua and I held her, the tears continued. We explained what she felt was guilt. We talked about natural consequences and obedience. We got to dish out forgiveness and grace. 

"AM I still pretty? Is my hair still pretty? It will grow back?" she asked fingering her hair. We talked again about true beauty. I told her even if she had no hair, we would think she was beautiful. 

This certainly wasn't the way I would have planned it, but she learned a whole lot more this way than sitting in a beauty salon getting her hair trimmed.