Here Comes the Wig, December 5
Inside the Cancer Journey: Daily Reflections for Those Coping with Cancer
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By Ashley Taylor
She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come (Proverbs 31:25 NIV).
When I received chemo to treat my cancer, I lost my hair. It was a traumatic event for me. I was grateful for my wig and head wraps to cover my baldness. Some choose to embrace baldness, which is wonderful. I relied on the security of something to cover my head.
I remember an evening when I was cooking dinner that I experienced a moment of panic. When I bought my wig, I had been told to stand back when opening an oven door. Since I had been using an oven for years without having to worry about the very hot air escaping when I opened the door, it was hard to change my ways. That night, I did not step back and one side of my wig melted. Thankfully, I realized what was happening and moved away to prevent further damage to the wig. Oh my! I was so upset. My daughter, Hannah, assured me that no one would pay close enough attention to notice.
The day after Christmas, my husband, our two daughters, and I left for the wedding of our special friend, Alex. I guess I thought my hair would grow back overnight after chemo. When the date of the wedding was upon us, I knew my hair had not grown enough for me to be comfortable without the wig. Even though I was grateful for my wig, it had begun to drive me a little crazy. Well, the evening of the wedding arrived, and we were all dressed up for this beautiful occasion. The ceremony was on a Florida beach, in a gorgeous location. The one thing I had not counted on was the wind. Wow! When we walked out the door to be seated for the ceremony, the power of the wind was a great surprise to me. I began to wonder if we were going to see “here comes the bride” or “here comes the wig.” I realized that I was not focusing on what was important, which was the coming together of these two people before God. He quickly reminded me why I was there and to put the worry of the wig out of my head. All of a sudden, I wanted to laugh out loud as I pictured my wig dancing down the beach.
That Christmas, my heavenly Father gave me the gift of remembering the words of Proverbs 31:25: “She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.” When we are clothed in the righteousness of Christ to give us strength and dignity, we can laugh at the days to come rather than spend our time stressed or worried. The wig was a comfort—but I needed to keep perspective, not place so much importance on this thing of the world, and remember God loved me the way He created me, with hair or without. It wasn’t long before, even though my hair was still extremely short, I was done with the wig.
Pray: Everlasting Father, thank You for creating and loving us, Your children. Help us strive to be clothed in Christ’s righteousness, so we can laugh at the days to come. Amen.
Your Turn: Think about what it means to be clothed in the righteousness of Christ as you listen to the words of “Who You Say I Am” by Hillsong.
Ashley Taylor, Cancer Survivor
Ashley is married to James, and they have two daughters, Grace and Hannah. All four are big Tar Heel fans, having attended the same school, UNC-Chapel Hill. In 2020 Ashley obtained her roofing license to help with her family's business. She is a breast cancer survivor. She has been grateful for the opportunity to join the devo team for Cancer Companions, to reach out to others for God’s glory for His goodness in her cancer journey.
Cancer Companion’s vision for the future is for every person impacted by cancer to know the hope, love, and grace of Jesus and that every oncology team has included faith in their treatment toolbox. By 2033, Cancer Companions will provide 5 million engagements through cancer prayers, scriptures and interactions to those impacted by cancer. Engagements include; social media outreach, e-newsletters, prayer team requests, 30 days of Cancer Prayer event, and volunteer connections.
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