The other day I asked my friend if she knew anything about lip waxing. I had been noticing tiny, unwelcome hairs accenting my upper lip; desiring to be a beautiful woman of God, I asked my friend the above question to which her reply was, "Sure! I've used NADS Wax Strips." And continued on, telling me where I could get this product.

After arriving 3 minutes before the store closed, I went to ask the cashier if she knew where the lip waxing products were...being sure of not mentioning the name NADS, that my friend told me, incase she decided to play her first ever practical joke on me (Who would choose the vulgar name NADS?)

When I arrived at the isle to where I was sent, I searched directly before me for this product NADS, only to find other products. Right when I began to feel like I was set up on a joke, I looked down at the shelves below. There it was to my lower left-NADS.

Not caring about its name any longer, I quickly scooped up one box and pondered grabbing more. Visions of beauty ran through my mind: classical music playing as I sat in a room filled with light as butterflies floated and flowers blossomed...while I carefreely pulled the wax strip from my lip. After locating a large mirror and some tweezers, I paid for my items and read the directions over several times on the way home - being sure I knew what I was doing.

Soon the wax strip was heated and peeled apart. I placed the sticky yelllow strip across my lip and ran my fingers across the wax paper to ensure that all the hairs would be pulled.

There was no classical music playing, no butterflies or flowers. The only thing close to my vision was that the light was on. In eager anticipation I ripped the wax away from my face, feeling the wind being sucked out of me as loud noise rushed out of my mouth, "OOOOOoouuuUUUCHHHHH!!!!!!!! It hurt so bad, I almost didn't know what happened. Still I had to repeat the process as the wax strips weren't long enough for my mouth. Again it hurt, but I think not as much since I knew what to expect.

There was a thick layer of wax remaining across my upper lip that I tried to scrub off.....even after I used my facial scrub product, it didn't feel like any wax was removed. UGH!!!! What did others do to remove this "stain"?

As I stared at myself in the mirror to evaluate my consequences, I vowed I would never do this again. My upper lip was pink and slighty swollen. But hopefully this would all be gone in the morning, especially after a shower.

Nope...it was worse...as the waxy layer was still there...along with several tiny pimples all across my upper lip. Even with loads of foundation and powder, I couldnt' hide my mistake.

In the same way, I have to be careful with the choices I make as I draw closer in my walk with Christ. If God is guiding me one way.....I shouldn't listen to anyone other than Christ. What is right for others, isn't necessisarily right for me. I have to constantly keep my gaze on Jesus, not myself.....or anyone else....or I may end up feeling pain far greater than wax being ripped off my lip, consequences that stay longer than the residue on my lip, and uglier than zits that dot my upper lip. If my focus doesn't stay on Christ, I may end up with a wound that eats away at my soul.

But praise God for tweezers!!

And I am thankful that God knows what is needed to create beauty within and out....He may not use tweezers.....yet .....after all, He created the heavens and the earth. Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!!