A while back, our family was sitting at the kitchen table enjoying supper together. Immediately, after my 12 year old daughter, Eve, stretched her arms up, her little brother yelled, "Look at all that hair under your arms!" I've been denying for awhile that Eve is in the full throws of puberty, but this was a wake up call. With a summer full of swimming coming, I knew it was time to teach my little girl how to shave. I took her in my bathroom, gave her a new razor and a quick lesson on proper shaving techniques. I sent her up to her shower with the promise of coming to check on her after I finished cleaning up the supper dishes. A few minutes later, Luke came running down the stairs screaming, "Mom! Eve is bleeding everywhere! She's going to die!" Being the heartfelt mother I am, I told him she was just going to have to wait to die until I finished the dishes. In my defense, Luke can be a little dramatic, and I hadn't even heard Eve's shower turn on, so I didn't think things could be too bad yet. Unfortunately, I was very wrong. The image that came down the stairs took a while to process. It looked like my daughter, but there was something red smeared all over her. "Mama, I tried to shave like you said, but it really hurt!" That's when I realized the red smears were blood. After a sob filled conversation, the facts finally became clear. Eve thought since she was told she could shave her underarms, she might as well go all out. She had tried to shave her entire body. Legs, arms, fingers, toes, face . . . fortunately she skipped the eyebrows! My shaving lesson had not included the importance of using soap and water or maneuvering around bony knees. I never thought to include the dangers razors can bring to elbows and knuckles. Once I got her all cleaned up, she came out with the true source of her agony. "Mama, you said once somebody starts shaving, her hair grows back thicker, right? How am I going to go to middle school looking like a big fuzzy bear?" That was it - I could take it no more. I started laughing so hard I could barely breath. Eve stared at me at first and then joined in. After falling on the couch and wiping away our tears, all I could think about is how much I loved my little girl.
One of the many things I love about my daughter is her exuberance. She always jumps into everything she does with everything she has. One never has to wonder what she is thinking - she'll let you know. If she is happy, she's dancing around the room. If she's mad, she's slamming doors and making plans to move to Turkey. Some would say she needs to tone things down a bit, think things through. But I see her as living out God's plan for her. Reminds me of one of Jesus' close friends. When Peter saw Jesus walking on water, what did he do? Jumped right in. When a Roman guard was trying to hurt Jesus, what did Peter do? Chop off his ear. In harder times, when people recognized Peter as a Christ follower, what did he do? Completely denied knowing him. I'm sure there were those that told Peter to tone it down a bit. Work on his internal filter. But God used him as a powerful force in bringing His kingdom to Earth. Does Pentecost ring a bell?
So even though she might come out nicked up, embarrass me a bit with her lack of filter, and scare me to death with her impulsiveness, I choose to be amazed by the young woman God is turning her into. I choose to sit back and watch the roller coaster of life God is going to take us on. But I might hold on to the razors for awhile.
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