Finally a haircut & thinking about Christmas
After almost 6 months of living in Peru, I became desperate enough to finally get my hair cut. I put it off far too long, but I was afraid because I did not know where to go or how to explain what I wanted done in Spanish. My husband, who always offers me easy solutions for my dilemmas for which I rarely appreciate, asked the lady he goes to if she would cut my hair. Mind you, he found her as a walk-in along the street towards the plaza from our house. She has all of the qualities he appreciates in someone who cuts hair. She is easy to find, always available, and super cheap. She refused because she said women are way too picky for clients, but she wrote down the name and phone number of a friend who does women’s hair. After my husband gave me the phone number, I thought surely I could find a better option. After waiting another month, I asked him to call the phone number and make an appointment for me. Surprise, surprise, she was available any time so I set an appointment for a few days later.
The Estetica was named Marata and she carefully sat me down in front of a mirror after washing my hair. It was obvious that she was just as apprehensive as I was as she approached me, the giant gray haired gringa who spoke no Spanish. I showed her an old picture of me with a shorter version of my hair and she began to cut my hair accordingly. As I watched, I noticed a small figure of Mary placed carefully in a transparent bag so as to not get soiled next to the mirror on the wall. I wondered why Marata had placed it there and what it might mean to her. Mary is often depicted and displayed in various forms here in Peru and I wondered what Christmas and Mary mean to them.
Today, as I was studying the scriptures I read in the Book of Mormon, 1 Nephi chapter 11 where the Spirit of the Lord was showing Nephi the vision of the tree of life and Nephi asked the spirit for the meaning of the tree. This is when the Spirit of the Lord directed Nephi to look!
1 Nephi 11:13-23
13 And it came to pass that I looked and beheld the great city of Jerusalem, and also other cities. And I beheld the city of Nazareth; and in the city of Nazareth I beheld a virgin, and she was exceedingly fair and white.
14 And it came to pass that I saw the heavens open; and an angel came down and stood before me; and he said unto me: Nephi, what beholdest thou?
15 And I said unto him: A virgin, most beautiful and fair above all other virgins.
16 And he said unto me: Knowest thou the condescension of God?
17 And I said unto him: I know that he loveth his children; nevertheless, I do not know the meaning of all things.
18 And he said unto me: Behold, the virgin whom thou seest is the mother of the Son of God, after the manner of the flesh.
19 And it came to pass that I beheld that she was carried away in the Spirit; and after she had been carried away in the Spirit for the space of a time the angel spake unto me, saying: Look!
20 And I looked and beheld the virgin again, bearing a child in her arms.
21 And the angel said unto me: Behold the Lamb of God, yea, even the Son of the Eternal Father! Knowest thou the meaning of the tree which thy father saw?
22 And I answered him, saying: Yea, it is the love of God, which sheddeth itself abroad in the hearts of the children of men; wherefore, it is the most desirable above all things.
23 And he spake unto me, saying: Yea, and the most joyous to the soul.
Isn’t it interesting that the spirit of the Lord showed Nephi a vision of Christ’s birth to teach him how to recognize that the Love of God is represented by the tree? Think about this, is there any better way to depict this love than by showing the gift of His son to the world? Need God say more about His love for mankind than through this beautiful gesture and sacrifice? The perfect scripture that supports this is found in John 3:16 of the New Testament.
John 3:16
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
After reading these scriptures, I have a much greater appreciation for the simple figure displayed next to the mirror at the salon. I’ve learned that Mary is a symbol of God’s love for all mankind no matter their circumstances and this is what we celebrate at this time of the year. I can’t help but compare this symbol to all other Christmas symbols that seem to distract us so much that we can’t see or feel the original sweet message. There is nothing wrong with Santa, reindeer, nor ridiculous oversized elves, but it does cause me to pause and wonder if we have gone a bit too far.
I hope that you take the time to watch this beautiful video of Christ’s birth. When I watched it earlier, I, like Nephi, felt God’s love personally as I thought about God’s cherished gift for all mankind. I hope you feel the same.
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/comeuntochrist/light-the-world/the-christ-child
