Post #5: I am not my circumstances. I am a child of God
May 12, 2026
The Hair Thing
Benjamin Franklin is credited for saying, “ Nothing is certain except death and taxes.” This was clearly before my specific chemotherapy was around because the third guarantee is that I will lose my hair. At least that is what my care coordinator told me at our first meeting. I was told about cool capping and was given a list of places where I might buy a wig. The first was hope that it would not fall out; the latter was assurance that it would.
One would think that the loss of hair would be completely insignificant in light of other things happening in this situation. That is exactly what I would have thought and said before it was happening to me. I didn’t want to admit that vanity was the driving factor (maybe it was); I just knew that I didn’t feel like a cancer patient so I didn’t want to look like a cancer patient.
Just this week, I saw a younger woman with a smooth bald head walking through a restaurant like a boss. She was clearly in treatment, but she carried it like a badge of honor. I wonder if I will be able to be like her. I hope so.
So my first order of business was to purchase a wig.
Addie and I woke before the sun came up and headed to Georgia Hair Solutions in Jackson, Georgia, a small little quaint town of 6,000 an hour south of Atlanta. We had decided to make the trip because I was told that they pray over their customers. Upon entering at the business housed in a little strip mall by the railroad tracks, we saw large white boards hanging on every wall with hundreds of signatures of folks going through treatment. I added my name before we left. We were told that women in town come to pray over the names regularly.
The experience of being fitted for a wig was sweet and special with Addie, my only daughter, a former pediatric oncology nurse, and a current nurse practitioner – but more importantly, a faithful woman of God. A young woman named Keely helped us find one that matched my hair color and texture almost exactly. Then a woman closer to my age named Nessa cut the wig similar to my current haircut while it was on my head. They name their wigs. Mine is Susie.
As we were checking out, we saw a door to a room right next to the front desk with a sign that said “The War Room.” It was a tiny space, more like a large closet, with a pink Christmas tree in the corner, walls covered in Bible verses, and small night lights softly glowing from a few plugs.
Shop owner Diana, Nessa, Addie and I went onto that War Room where we circled up, holding hands. Then Diana prayed over me and Addie in a powerful way. I felt electricity from the top of my head all the way to my toenails. I felt as though the Holy Spirit was literally pulsing through my entire body.
I left there with a wig and the belief that the battle was won. Maybe I won’t need that wig after all. Not because my hair will remain, but because I was reminded I wear a different kind of crown. I am a daughter of the King.
LESSONS I'VE LEARNED
· I am a child of God. I am a daughter of the King. I am that every day as promised by God. 2 Corinthians 6:18: "I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty."
· My circumstances may change. May hair may fall out. But the Word remains steadfast and faithful. Isaiah 40:8: "The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever."
· I am not my circumstances. I am not my earthy possessions. My hair is not my crown. I wear the Crown of Life. James 1:12: “Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him.”
The Hebrew word for crown is nezer and the Greek version is stephanos, both words symbolize authority, victory and reward. The crown is a powerful metaphor for spiritual achievement, divine favor, and eternal life.
The Bible mentions five different kinds of crowns.
1. The Imperishable Crown (1 Corinthians 9:25): Given for self-discipline over a sinful life.
2. The Crown of Life (James 1:12 and Revelation 2:10): Given to those who faithfully endure trials for Jesus’s name.
3. The Crown of Righteousness (2 Timothy 4:8): Given to believers who strive to live a righteous life.
4. The Crown of Glory (1 Peter 5:4): Given to those who faithfully care for the God’s flock.
5. The Crown of Rejoicing (1 Thessalonians 2:19): Given to those who share the Gospel and point others to Christ.
PRAYER
Lord, thank you that my identity is rooted in You alone. Thank you that I am not my circumstances, but I am Your daughter who wears the crown of life. Help me to walk the path you have set before me. Thank you that you are with me always, every moment of every day. In Luke 12:7, Jesus tells us that the very hairs on our head are numbered so we should not fear. We are God’s children who are fearfully and wonderfully made by Him. Indeed, ALL things were created by Him and through Him and for Him. Lord, thank you that you are before all things and in You alone, all things hold together. Amen.
