Handle With Care

The more I brushed my Ombre human hair weave, the more it shed.  I'd spent quite a bit of money to buy the weave so you can imagine my annoyance at the strands of hair that came off with every brush stroke. According to the manufacturer's specification, I will experience little or no shedding but the strand's of hair in my bathroom sink and sometimes food says otherwise. I was about to draft a strongly worded letter of complaints to the manufacturer but decided at the last minute to re-read the hair care instruction. I realised certain things I'd been doing wrong. 1. I'd been been using a brush with hard bristles instead of the recommended soft bristles. 2. No matter how expensive the hair or "human" it seems, it is not my original hair . My hair extensions have undergone a series of processing so requires a more delicate care than my natural hair, hence the shedding. *Lesson to self-always read instruction manual thoroughly*

I have experienced enough brokenness like some of you reading this post to recognise a "broken" person when I meet one. With my little experience, I have learnt never to box people together. People are products of different experiences and environment so require a more dynamic method of approach. It is downright wrong to treat a child from an abusive home with the same gloves as a child with a somewhat more balanced home structure. Broken and hurting people are vulnerable and quite easily exploited or susceptible to more abuse. That is why for some unfathomable reason  abused people tend to seek abusive relationships. It is just not normal! Jesus gives the perfect example on how to deal with hurting people. "to the weak, I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some" 1 Corinthians 9:22. Jesus understood the dynamics of dealing with broken people and lived accordingly. When the sick were brought to him he showed compassion "When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were harassed and helpless like sheep without a shepherd".  Jesus was moved with the desire to relieve the suffering of the hurting not break them some more.  "a bruised reed he will not break, and a smouldering wick he will not snuff out" Matthew 12:20  but he was much firm with the overbearing Pharisees. What most hurting need is empathy and not condemnation. Imagine going for counselling and leaving more damaged than when you got there. Frustrating isn't?  That my friend is not the purpose of the church but to offer hope to a dying world. Like my "human hair" God did not create the world broken. The present status quo is a consequence of sin but there is hope yet. No matter how much, you deny it, broken people like new born babes need  gentle care.

Next time you meet a hurting person, please handle with care don't be brash, selfish or uncaring.  Take a bit more time with that person and don't be afraid to offer a helping hand, it may well be you needing encouragement tomorrow.
P.S. Got myself a brush with softer bristles coupled with additional moisturising and plenty palaver  and the shedding has reduced drastically. Thank God!!