There’s a Hair in My Ear!

I have one of those magnifying mirrors in our bathroom that enable you to see everything on your face. And I do mean everything! It’s a little scary (and humbling) to see all the little bumps and pores on your skin. But this past Saturday as I was shaving in the morning, I noticed something a little out of the ordinary.

There it was – one, single little hair that was protruding out of my right ear. At first, I thought it was just a loose strand of hair that had fallen out of my scalp and miraculously landed sideways in my ear canal. But when I grabbed it with my fingers to remove it, it did not budge. I, indeed, had a hair in my ear!

Visions immediately rushed through my mind…thoughts of elderly men with hair in their ears. We’ve all seen it. And in some cases, there was more hair in their ears than on the top of their heads! And I couldn’t help but to think that this is one of the steps that I must be taking as I enter a new phase in my life.

Today, I am celebrating one of those so called “milestone” birthdays. And yes, I am apparently marking that milestone with a new tradition of yanking a hair out of my ear. And soon, I will be receiving my invitation in the mail to join AARP. And before you know it, my body will be changing in ways that will not be very pleasant.

Where does the time go? How is it possible to be celebrating a “milestone” birthday when I do not feel like I have been around that long? How can I possibly be married for 25 years? How is it possible to have three sons in college when I feel like I was just attending college myself? I guess it’s all a matter of perspective.

Yes, we all must face the fact that we are getting older. But I firmly believe that with age comes wisdom. And with wisdom comes the realization that we are here on this earth for a purpose. We are here to help complete the mission of Jesus Christ. Each of us has a role to play in carrying out this mission. Each of us has a unique gift that we have been given. It is up to us to use that gift to make this world a better place, and to put the needs of others before our own. We are all called to bring light to those in darkness.

Let’s pray that we have the courage and wisdom to not only recognize our gift, but to use it to bring God’s kingdom here on earth. So let’s pluck the hair out of our ear and get on with our mission of serving Christ and others!