The Voice of Southwest Louisiana January 2019 Issue

Kimberly Singleton Drawhorn
natural 4 years
Pamela Edwards natural 2 1/2 years
dismiss her remark. She ignored the
stares and rude comments. Not once in
the time it took to cut, color and style her
hair did she change her mind, not even
when she saw the heap of hair piled on
the floor.
Sharon handed her a mirror and waited
for her response.
“I love it,” Lisa said, as she raked her
fingers through her hair. She paid Sharon
for her services and held her head high
with the confidence of a runway model.
She strutted out of the door feeling like
she was on top of the world.
When she got home, she looked at
herself in the mirror again. “Now that
I have a fresh start on the outside, I’m
going to get a fresh start on the inside,”
she told herself.
Lisa spent the next few months making
some changes in her life. She joined the
gym, changed her eating habits and
tried to always have a positive attitude.
One morning, on her way out of the door
for church, she looked at herself in the
mirror with pride. She was pleased with
her appearance and satisfied with the
progress she had made towards her fresh
start. She finally had it together.
On the contrary, the sermon that Sunday
exposed some things about herself
and she realized she did not have it all
together after all. The preacher’s words
cut her like a knife. Sure, she looked
good and she felt good but something
deeper and more important was lacking.
With all the changes she made the most
important one was yet to happen. She
needed a change of heart. She had been
operating in unforgiveness.
Lisa needed to mend a relationship
with her sister that had been broken
for over five years. At one point they
were inseparable then after one spat the
two of them stopped speaking to one
another. She couldn’t even remember
what the argument was about. Holidays,
birthdays, weddings and funerals passed
without them saying a word to one
another. Lisa wanted to share so many
things with her sister, but she couldn’t
get up the nerve to pick up the phone.
“We must forgive, so that we may be
forgiven. Life is too short to waste time
operating in unforgiveness. If there is
someone you need to forgive do it NOW!”
she remembered the pastor saying with
authority. “Take the first step. Whether
they receive you or reject you, it’s not
your problem.”
“Here goes nothing,” Lisa said as she
picked up the phone to call her sister.
“Janet, it’s me, Lisa, you got a minute?”
she asked with uncertainty in her voice.
“Sure,” Janet replied.
“I think it’s time the two of us got our
relationship back on track. I was in church
today and the Pastor said something that
really touched my heart. I want to ask for
your forgiveness.” Lisa said.
Janet chuckled, “I was in church too, I sat
upstairs, and I heard the same sermon. I
was just about to pick up the phone to
call you. I will forgive you if you promise
to forgive me,” she said.
“Done,” Lisa said. “Let’s make a promise to
never spend so much time not speaking
to one another again.”
“Done,” Janet said. “By the way, I like the
hair.”
“I’m getting a fresh start,” Lisa said as she
raked her fingers through her hair.
Volume 6 • Number 6 WWW.THEVOICEOFSOUTHWESTLA.COM January 2019 23