I have long eyelashes! For real! Not the kind in a box that look like two halves of a spider and require a steady hand, lots of glue, and carry the possibility of falling off, but real, as in my own, eyelashes. Being a blond, I have spent a lifetime (well, not my whole life, but from about age fifteen) layering on Maybelline mascara (very black, for maximum coverage). I can't begin to tell you how many layers of mascara are required to get my eyes perky and ready for the day, but I will say I've been known to have to prop my arm up to finish the job. J Surely, some of you can relate to this. Don't tell me I'm fighting the eyelash demons alone. So, here's the good news. If you've been watching the beauty ads you know that sometime last year a new product hit the market that promised long, luxurious eyelashes. Not since contact lenses replaced my brown, horn-rimmed glasses have my eyes felt such promise. This invention could be in the "dream come true" category for "hard to solve beauty dilemmas."
Surely, you've seen the ads. The absolutely beautiful Brooke Shields bats her perfectly groomed eyelashes right into the camera. I tried to listen to my head when it told me she was still sporting a perfect pair of false eyelashes, but my heart kept saying it's worth a try. It seems my daughter was tempted by the ads as well and purchased the tiny bottle before I had the opportunity. Yes! I told myself. A guinea pig for the experiment! I was like a mad scientist, rubbing my hands together in eager anticipation of the outcome. After all, as much as I would love a new, improved set of eyelashes, I am practical to the core and was willing to wait a few weeks to see how it worked on someone else. Deep down, I knew that at the first sight of a hair longer than a quarter of an inch, I would get my own bottle! My daughter, the avid reader, read the instructions carefully, and then set about following the plan. However, this was at Christmas and soon, I was too busy to think about it.
After the first of the year, the mad scientist in me returned and I found myself staring at her eyes for the promised growth. After a full inspection, I stated the product must be another beauty gimmick as I couldn't tell any difference. She nonchalantly explained that it made her eyes itch, so she quit using it after about two weeks. What! She let a little itch stop the wheels of eyelash progress. My daughter was clearly NOT ready for the promised Betty Davis eyes.
The door had just been opened! Eyelash heaven was in my future and at no cost to me. I told her I would take her little bottle off her hands and give it a try. The instructions had long been thrown away so I turned to Google for my questions and answers. Here are the instructions: apply nightly to the base of the eyelashes. Look for results in eight to ten weeks. Simple enough. I was already in the habit of washing my face, applying night cream, and brushing my teeth at night, I would just add this to the list. Now I'm going to make a long story a little shorter. After eight weeks I saw NOTHING! I started whining and complaining and Googling the product for answers. Then, I decided to continue on and be patient. And guess what, after TWELVE weeks, when I applied my morning mascara, my eyes almost popped out of my head when I saw the fruits of my labor come through in such a big way. Just as promised, my eyelashes looked like Brooke Shields'—it was uncanny. I could be her eyelash sister! J
I was on the receiving end of proof that consistent behavior can get desired results. Wow, what a lesson to be learned here and it's not about eyelashes. IT'S ABOUT LIFE! Every one of us wants to be successful in the long term. I don't mean financial success, but this can happen as well. All of us want a good life, complete with loving family members, a church family that supports us, a job that we feel benefits the world, outside activities that enrich our life journey. We want to leave a legacy and be remembered well. And in the end, we want to spend eternity in Heaven. But, sometimes we're not willing to the right things, consistently, that will assure the results we are striving for. Sometimes the journey gets too hard, or itchy, and we want to stop before the desired result is reached. Sometimes, we think it's just taking too long and it's not worth it, so we give in to our own desire to take one thing off our work load. Sometimes, we just don't trust God's word when He says, if you do THIS, I will do THAT.
There is a Biblical principle that says "Be obedient to your master for a long period of time" which is just like my eyelash instructions that said, "Apply EVERY night." If you follow the instructions, you will see results beyond your expectations. While the word obedient isn't the "coolest" word of our day, it is the word that is capable of giving you and me a life of freedom and hope. At the end of your life, your legacy can say, "Through God's grace and blessings, I did what I was told for a long period of time and here are the results—a family who loves God, friends who know I am there for them, a church family that was blessed by my services to them, and a community who knew what I stood for."
I know the eyelash journey was just for fun. There are so many life issues I face every day that challenge me to stay strong, stay focused, stay connected, stay, stay, stay in God's word. And I know, without a doubt, God will hold up His end of the deal, if I do just that.
Join me in my journey to be obedient to God's word today and every day.
Hugs, Chrys
No comments:
Post a Comment