By Shanyi McQuilla-Robinson
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03 Apr, 2021
Both of my children were blessed with beautiful thick curly hair. Kennedi’s hair is super long, reaching the tip of her lower back down to her buttock’s region. She has these very tight curls that easily get all tangled up. Especially when they are dry, they coil together and can become matted if left untouched, or un-moisturized. She absolutely loves her hair, but she hates the process of having it done. She is what we call in my culture, “tender headed.” The mere sight of a comb sends her wailing into despair. But she loves the finished product of having her hair done. It doesn’t matter if it is braided with beads that she can shake, flat ironed with curls she can bounce around, in ponytails and bobo’s, or in an afro, she loves the finished product. It does something to her, she will stare in the mirror in a deep gaze once it is done. Usually, her face is red and there is snot running down her nose from all the crying and screaming she did moments prior. But once she sees the finished result she is always in awe, like it gave her an extra boost of confidence. But the process…. It is painful… for her As a mom, I hate hearing her cry in pain. Now sometimes her wailing is just her being extra dramatic, and then sometimes the detangling process can pull on her scalp which will make her cry. As much as it pains me to hear my child cry, in order to keep her hair healthy and growing it must go through the process of being washed, conditioned, deep conditioned (depending on how it looks), rinsed, detangled, blow dried, and then styled. It’s not easy, I’m not trying to hurt her, that is not the plan, but she must go through the process. Just like Kennedi, we all want the end result of the process but don’t want to go through the process because it is painful. That is where I was in my journey to purpose….It HURT Like really bad! I didn’t want to be in the process anymore. I want the end result, I want to get to the point on this journey where I am no longer struggling in any area of my life, Motherhood, Marriage, Ministry, or Mompreneurship. I want my books to be done and my blog up functioning and thriving. I want emotionally healthy kids and to be emotionally healthy myself. I want the end results, oh but the process. The process is long and hard, and it hurts! It hurts to struggle with your finances and try to figure out who gets paid this pay period. My husband is a real-life super-hero, they just don’t pay him like one and being down to one income is HARD! It hurts to try to help my 10-year-old navigate her emotions in this pre-pubescent stage of life she has entered all the while still teaching her to be respectful and virtuous. To allow her to be a child maintaining her innocence yet also teach her responsibility and accountability, and build her self-esteem, and confidence in who she is and who she will become. That is exhausting and frustrating and can hurt. Because as a mom we all question if we are doing it right. Process. I see the people and their success and sometimes struggle with coveting. I mean I am following what God called me to do, so why am I struggling this way? Why is she (social media person) or he (young pastor) so successful? Look at their house and kids. But what we often fail to see, what we can’t see, is the process it took to get there. So, what do you do when the process is painful, and you are ready to tap out? When you are hanging by a thread onto your last little piece of hope thinking to yourself it must get better. Tie a knot at the end and hold on. There are three things I know for sure about the process. 1.) It doesn’t last forever. For a period it can be painful, frustrating, seemingly hopeless, long, and any other tiring adjective you want to put on it, but it is temporary. When I do Kennedi’s hair I am not there doing it for an infinite amount of time. There is a specific time frame (because I have more than one head of hair to do with being a mom of all girls, including my own) that it will take to get it done. Once it is finished, it is finished. So, know the process is TEMPORARY. 2.) It is necessary. It has to happen. I have to wash and condition and detangle Kennedi’s hair. Imagine me not ever washing her hair. All the things that she could catch and that could potentially harm her if I did not wash it. All the bacteria and germs that could come from it. Not only that, I would have cut it off. Without detangling her hair, it would become so matted and stuck together that my only recourse would be to shave her head. This would hurt her even more. The process that you are in is developing something in you. Something you need for the next phase of your journey or something you need to let go of in order to get to the next phase of your journey. Whatever it is producing or cleansing it is necessary. God would not allow it to happen if it wasn’t. I heard a saying from one of my college friends she said on one of her live streams. “If it’s not good God isn’t done.” Think about that. 3.) The joy of the end result is greater than the pain of the process Think about the process of being pregnant. If you have never been pregnant, let me tell you, that 9-10-month process is not for the faint of heart. Although all pregnancies are different, there are certain things that one will experience through that process. The sickness, the pain, the uncertainty. You lose control of your body, it begins doing things you didn’t even realize was possible. Oh and the pain… I was in my third trimester writing this and the pressure from the baby bearing down into my pelvis was so strong I had to place an icepack on my lady parts… But the end result, the joy of meeting my newest princess and holding her and loving her it far outweighs all of the pain the pregnancy sent me through. Just like Kennedi’s hair. Once I am done she is no longer focused on the pain she had to go through to get that cute hairstyle that she asked for and loves. Instead, she is now looking in the mirror, smiling at herself, telling me how much she loves it and how I am the best mom. Mind you 5 minutes prior I was the worst person ever that was hurting her, so she was screaming her head off. But that is it. The Joy of the end result heavily outweighs the pain of the process. The more painful the greater the joy! I know the process that I am in is producing something so great and releasing things that needed to be released years ago. This is very painful. There are many nights and days that I have tears streaming down my face asking God what He is doing. So if you are going through a process, if you are at the point where you just can’t hold on any longer, tie a knot! When I tell you the breakthrough is around the corner it is. When I tell you He is not far from you and it will soon be over it will! I know you can’t see it because you are in it. But trust Him! Trust Him! You need to tell yourself over and over and until you believe it so strongly that nothing that comes against you can shake you. God Has a plan, He is in control, and He has your BEST interest at heart. Something you can hold on to: Romans 8:28 All things work TOGETHER for the GOOD of those that love the Lord. Proverbs 3:5 Lean NOT unto YOUR OWN understanding. But in ALL your ways acknowledge Him and He WILL direct your paths Jeremiah 29:11 I KNOW the plans I have for you! Plans to PROSPER you and NOT to harm you. To give you a HOPE and a Future. James 1:2-4 Count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work that you may be perfect and complete LACKING NOTHING.