If you’ve read my last blog, you know I’m learning to find contentment through discomfort. And it seems like the Lord will be faithful to give me challenging scenarios to work through. For example, as I write this I’m having lice and nits picked out of my hair.
At our last ministry numerous kids we worked with had lice, but I had already determined I didn’t want to treat anyone differently because they had lice. I would still love them, interact with them, hug them. They were worth that even if I ended up getting lice because of it. Then this morning as I was reading my Bible in my Eno, I noticed my head felt very itchy. Even after a good scratch it continued to itch. Yikes! I‘ve never had lice before, but I was soon checked and confirmed to have it now.
We had a few girls discover lice at training camp and there became a slight panic. Everyone adopts a sense of worry, becomes a bit paranoid, talks about it with others, and has their hair checked frequently. Which all makes sense, lice is tricky to get rid of and not a fun process! I was included in this mild panic. I’d never had it, but the idea of it is quite concerning.
Now I was going to be creating that same scenario. When you tell people you have lice, it feels like everyone begins regretting their recent time spent and proximity to you. “I sleep next to her!” “I was literally just sitting with my head right next to hers” It’s one of those scenarios that’s not your fault, but you have it and it just sucks. The enemy is quick to use it as a foothold to make you feel like a social pariah.
However, my squad has been awesome about it! The whole squad was checked and four other girls with lice turned up. Lice treatments, mayonnaise, tea trea oil, haircuts, lice combs, bagging up all your bedding and clothes; it was a party! I’m so thankful for my teammate Shannon for sacrificing her American lice treatment for me and Rachel for spending roughly three hours meticulously picking through my hair to pull out microscopic bugs and nits. And they continue to have to pick through my hair twice each day until it’s completely eradicated.
In the meantime my bedding and clothes are bagged in precious garbage bags (the bags must be expensive because the base does not part with them easily!) and sitting in the hot sun on the basketball court to suffocate any lice that might lie inside. Generally the next step would be to wash everything thoroughly in hot water. But here we are hand washing our laundry in the sink… That’s a lot of stuff to handwash and no guarantee all the lice will be removed. Another step to trust God in! Funny story though, the base has nightly security guards walking around campus through the night to guard against theft or unwelcome strangers. When one of the guards walked past the basketball court and saw all our bags on the court, they assumed someone was stealing our stuff! After a few concerned phone calls they got it figured out. Just the crazy American’s lice infested clothes and bedding.
Choosing joy through lice! It’s a struggle, but God is good, faithful and will get the glory from this.
