" Hair Buns and Umbrellas"

A few years ago, I attended an East Coast Ladies Conference, which truly stands out in my memory. It may have been my first conference.  I’ve attended a few, some nearby, others we had to drive a bit and stay overnight or 2.   This particular conference was an overnight trip.  Those were always fun, sleeping over in a hotel, having a pajama party atmosphere, pigging out with treats.  We’d stay up late, talk, and giggle with each other.  We’d go to classes the next day, learn new things, and meet new friends. We always had our best services at night, and they never ceased to be wonderful, and exciting spiritual experiences.

I particularly remember coming home from this one conference.  We had a packed car. Lots of ladies and lots of baggage.  We were all tired, we’d had a lot of fun, missed a lot of sleep and we were glad to be returning home. Debbie Childress was driving and Pastor Childress was riding in the front passenger seat.  Right when we were almost home, it started raining, pouring down hard.  We stopped to let out one of the ladies at her driveway.

Unfortunately, I had been sitting by the window in the back seat and I had to get out of the car, in order for her to get out. But luckily, I had my umbrella!  So out, I go, moving to the side so our friend could get out of the car and get her suitcase.  The rain was extremely heavy and just pelted down on us.  I headed back to the car door to get in. But as I tried to bring my umbrella down, it pulled on my hair!  I had my hair in a bun that night,  on top of my head.  I fiddled with the part of my bun that was caught and tried to loosen it from the underwires of the umbrella. I could not get it loose.  The rain was relentlessly crashing on me as I tried to untangle my hair and set myself free. I kept thinking, any minute it will come loose, but it didn’t.

I mean, can you picture it?  I’m standing out in a torrential downpour of rain, my left arm and hand are totally taken up and getting tired  holding up the umbrella.  My right arm and hand are desperately feeling around the top of my head to discover how the tiny  lil’ knot is twisted into the umbrella wirings, while the rain is beating down on my wet body!  I couldn’t let go of the umbrella, the weight of it pulled hard on my hair and it hurt.  I could not see what I was doing, all I could do was feel the knot wound around the wires. If there were angels present from the spiritual realm, I’m sure they were having a blast observing all this.

It took so long struggling with my hair and the umbrella,  our pastor’s wife, Debbie,  got out of the car and mercifully came to help me.  She fiddled and twisted and tried to unloose my hair. We were both huddled under this stupid umbrella that would not let me go.  We were being drenched in more rain than we’d seen in months.

Finally, we just stopped fiddling,  and we started laughing, We were so wet, and the rain just kept bucketing down on us. We stood out there and just giggled over and over at such an unbelievable circumstance. We were drenched and giggling out in that preposterous rain.  We had been out there struggling and laughing for a few minutes, when Pastor Childress rolled down his window and stuck his head out of the car, yelling, "What are you girls doing?" Debbie replied, "Charlotte’s hair is tangled up in the umbrella!" He ducks his head back in the car, laughing at our absurdity.  I am sure the angels were falling down and rolling on the clouds, laughing at us, as well.  Debbie started back trying to untangle my hair, and finally, finally, it came loose! The rain just continued to pound down on us.

We both got back in the car, soaking, dripping wet. Debbie drives me home, letting me out in my driveway.   I don’t even remember going into my house.  I don’t remember if it was still raining.  But I do recall laughing off and on until I fell asleep, remembering Debbie and me underneath my umbrella, fiddling with my tangled hair, trying to get me loose.

I definitely had a testimony in church the next day. What a good friend Debbie Childress is.   She came out into that pouring rain to help free me and my hair. That was one ladies' conference I will never forget.  We never know what’s in store for us next. I am more than sure, the good Lord has a great sense of humor.

But I bet I will never wear my hair up in a bun again, if there is any chance of rain!

Charlotte Ann