Lice Lessons

So my head has been kinda itchy in one spot for a few days…I thought to
myself why’s my head itching so much? I then think, well I’m using new shampoo,
maybe it’s that….or in all honestly EVERYTHING is itchy here…I’ve never
sweat so much in my entire life! So I simply choose to ignore my itchy scalp
and move throughout my day of ministry as normal.

This morning I walk into the kitchen with a small brown bug on my finger
that I pulled from my head. I hold it out to Michelle who is working in the
kitchen. I say, “is this LICE?” She proceeds to grab another woman in the
kitchen who looks at me alarmed and says “where did you get this?!?!” By this
time I’ve pretty much figured out my answer is “Yes, this is lice and yes you
have it living in your hair. In fact you’ve had it living in your hair for DAYS!”
We proceeded to use the lice killing shampoo and then comb out MANY lice and
their eggs from my head. My squad mate April also realized she had them living
in her hair as well.

So…lesson time…one of the things I have observed about my relationship
with the Lord is that I hear Him very clearly when I am broken. Today I hit a
different brokenness than I’ve experienced before this month. I won’t go into
great detail here but know that I was exhausted and really not happy to have
bugs living on my head. God met me in this moment this morning, He told me to
rest in His perfect Peace and to not let circumstances steal my JOY. Joy is not
just something that I have and display, I actually AM joy to people it is a
part of my identity in Christ. Today- I was not walking in that Joy. Ok so that
was heart check #1 from the Lice- Dont let the bugs and an itchy scalp steal my
Joy…

The second lice lesson came when I was reminded all of the sudden of the
advice I gave one of my teammates earlier in the day. I told her “when you feel
down, discouraged, defeated…PLEASE bring it to your team, we’re your family
and we want to love you and be there for you as you go through everything this
year.” Well, what I quickly realized was that I gave the advice but wasn’t
walking in it. So I went into the house and gathered up as much of my team that
was available and told them where I was, how I was feeling and they were
AMAZING. My team rallied around me, laid hands on me and prayed truth and
encouragement over me! I felt so uplifted (or “liberated”) in that moment, all
the stresses of the day, all the expectations I’d put on myself, all the stupid
bugs on my head….it all stopped being a “big deal”, I felt loved and
supported by my new family and I’m SO grateful for that and for each of them!

So I guess if it took getting Lice to make me stop and remember Joy is
above circumstance, and to appreciate that my team is an incredible powerhouse
of prayer and that they are my awesome family ready to encourage and support me
in my brokenness…then it’s worth it. Plus, I’ll always get to say, “so
remember that one time…in the Philippines when I got lice?” 😛