Bobby Pins

I took a whopping 46 bobby pins out of my hair last night after being a bridesmaid in my friend Judy’s wedding. As I took them out, special memories flooded my mind of other times I’ve removed unbelievable numbers of bobby pins from an up-do (hey, it was a lengthy task – I had time to think!).

I thought back about various roles I’d played in theatrical performances in high school that required extravagant up-do’s, tons of hairspray and small armies of bobby pins. I also thought of my high school prom experiences – nights I anticipated for years (literally). Then I thought about other weddings that I had been in, supporting close friends as they married the men of their dreams. Finally, I thought about my own wedding, laughing as I remembered sitting cross-legged on the floor of a hotel room as John pried what seemed like a pound of bobby pins from my head.

It’s funny how objects as inanimate and cheap as bobby pins brought so many significant memories to my mind. It reminded me of people, and how individuals seem insignificant when we put them into perspective as just one of the billions of people on the earth. However, the truth is that each person has a critical role to play in God’s story, just as each of my 46 bobby pins was supporting a particular section of my hair.

In a drawer, bobby pins are useless. However, when the hairdresser who has the master plan places them in my hair just so, they perform a critical function. Similarly, when we are stagnant, not paying attention to God or letting Him use us, we aren’t living out the purpose for which He created us. We could be a part of something fantastic (1,000,000 times better than prom or weddings!) if we’d let ourselves be used by the Master, but too often, we settle for less. We miss out on an opportunity to serve Him and be a part of something greater than ourselves.

I hope that my bobby pin analogy wasn’t too much for you. I realize that bobby pins aren’t something that typically spurs on analytical thinking, but I thought I’d share the reflections that stemmed from the simple hair accessory. I’m so encouraged and grateful that God sees us as individuals, not just a lump sum of bobby pins jammed in the back of a drawer. He sees us, has plans for each one of us, and wants us to let Him use us in ways that will bring Him praise – more praise that any hairdresser has ever received in history!