Early in the morning a as I was running my fingers through my long tangly hair, a terrifying thought came to me in the form of a song. Cut to the realness, I was in the shower. The song: Should I Stay or Should I Go? by The Clash. I sang, but the words came out: Should I Shave or Should I Grow.
The consequences seemed terrifying. I might have to lose the locks I had been working on for what seems like an entire year! My hair had been a polarizing issue with friends at family, coworkers and even strangers. A constant first topic of discussion when I met new people, I enjoyed my hair. I wasn’t spending money on haircuts, and I always drive with the windows down and long flowy hair just felt right.
Nevertheless the thought came, and I new I had to do more with it because I couldn’t get it out of my head! I asked some people who I thought might not like to see my hair gone what they thought, of course they thought surrendering the fate of my hair for the cause of sharing Jesus around the world sounded like a great idea. NOT WHAT I WANTED TO HEAR! That’s what you get sometimes though. How often do we already know what we should do but just don’t wanna do it, so we seek affirmation in our wrongness? So glad I don’t have friends who tell me just what I wanna hear!
Announcement day I went on a hike with my stepbrother and took a photo on the mountain. We read Psalm 23 that day.
Even when I go through the darkest valley, I fear no danger, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff — they comfort me.
Psalms 23:4 HCSB
https://bible.com/bible/72/psa.23.4.HCSB
I knew God would be with me on the journey.
I announced the plan and people had all sorts of reactions. Excitement, shock, pure joy at the thought of me shaving. People asked if they could be the one to cut my hair (that just wasn’t on the table).
I’d get donations here and there, but I new the donations would really get going on the day of the deadline. Like buying something on eBay getting your vote in just barely higher than the last donation for the opposite team, maybe that donation could be the deciding one. That was the idea, until…
A very gracious and generous person posted a reply on one of my posts that they’d offer to match and donation that night up to 1K for team shave.
Instantly, my jaw dropped. I jumped in the air declaring to my neighbor Wayne,
“Dude! Someone’s gonna match donations!”
I managed my social media that night in his living room.
God already had a story about someone losing power because of a haircut, Samson said if He lost his hair He’d be like any other man. The last thing I wanted was to be like any other man! If you know me, you know that just won’t work for me. But God used this #TeamShave win as a source of power for me. When team shave inevitably won at the end of the night I was actually smiling excited about how God showed up through the people He’s strategically placed in my life. We all seem to impact one another, pointing out God’s glory and goodness to one another. It was the most unexpected moment I’d ever experienced. God wasn’t done.
After it all. The donations were matched, but they weren’t quite up to the 1,000$ mark. That didn’t matter. Somehow God provided a match and a $750 donation plus a $250 donation. Meaning over $2,000 were raised in 1 day! I’m still in SHOCK! God provides exactly what we need and when we need it. He demonstrated to me how he wants to give to his children who really love him and want to serve him. The generosity of the people he used has been warming my heart!
Today started after barely sleeping. I got started a little late, 9:45am. First appointment the doctor, then the phone charger store, finally the Kennesaw Barber. I went in with a barely charged phone (only my car charger had been working all week, hence the second appointment) and no one to film the cut. I set the appointment with my favorite barber, Andrew the shop’s owner.
I walked in expecting to pay for the works, a tight cut on the sides and back with a little on the top plus a straight razor shave with a hot and a cool towel. It was something I’d actually never had done, but if I was ever gonna do it, it felt like this was to be the best occasion to do it.
My mom showed up just before my cut. Just in time to help me live stream, unfortunately my phone died halfway through, so the full video isn’t available, but we have footage on her phone as well!
After the cut, and talking with Andrew about why this lady was filming me and how crazy last night was he shook my hand,looked me in the eye, and said,
“This one is on us.”
What!? After all that God’s not even have me pay for the haircut? He’s gonna move in my barber’s heart to the point that his wife Mrs. Torres is gonna take me in the back to show me their Bible that they read with their employees in the morning and then pray over me! Not only that, but she explained how her husband is a prayer warrior and that they plan to be praying continually for me and my squad!?! God is so good. So many divine appointments are happening. I feel that I’m truly in the middle of God’s will. Sure there are attacks from the enemy, there is stuff that is happening around me that’s not good, and moments where I could get discouraged. One thing is clear though, God wants me to go. Otherwise why would he be providing the way and in such a way?That, to me, is just mind-blowing!
Thank you Jesus that you let me be a small part of your story. That I get to see you at work. I feel so happy that you call me son. I feel so loved this weekend!
Friends and family, that’s the shave or grow story. I hope it encourages you to pursue what God has for you and to trade in your plans and schemes for success. To surrender all of yourself or maybe like me, just a little bit more of yourself for more of Jesus. Surrender to God, and you are in His will. Hands down. He was willing to demonstrate that to me this weekend. WOW!
Love you all. Please keep praying for me. You can donate to my world race trip here on my blog or I can donate it for you if you Venmo or Cashapp me!
Venmo: @Daniel-Peters20
Cashapp: $dandydaniel
God Bless,
-Daniel
Galatians 2:20
