The Girl with Purple Hair

Why'd she have to smile?

The girl with purple hair smiled at me today. The girl with the purple hair and nose ring and black lipstick passed me on the sidewalk and smiled. Why'd she have to smile? I was so ready to despise her tromping along in those black boots, cigarette clinging to the corner of her mouth and hair straggling across her face. The gears were in place to unleash scorn. I was so sure she viewed me as a preppy, stuck-up jerk I wanted to hate her first.

But then she slapped me with a smile. And she meant it. It said "hello" and "lovely weather isn't it?" all at once and made me feel like such a fool.

The girl with the purple hair smiled at me today. Next time I'm going to smile first.

Romans 14:13 "stop passing judgement on one another."

This little piece is something I wrote back in 1999. I just came across it in an old file of random writing.

Comments (13)

Love this post. Thanks for sharing it!

Posted by DJ Cimino | March 2, 2009 5:53 PM

This made me smile, particularly since I have purple hair and a nose-piercing. I'll make a point of saying hi to you on Sunday. =)

Posted by Kelley | March 2, 2009 5:57 PM

Thank you for sharing this with us!

I too struggle when I see someone like this. Not all of them would be happy or smiling, and if I see them not happy, then I use the time to witness to them. I did one time, but she left before I was able to finish witnessing to her. At least, she knows that I did care to help her.

As for smiling at me as a believer would make it harder for me to witness to them because they are sending signal that they got it all together and not knowing that they are lost.

We all need to be bold as a Lion to witness to other whether they smile at us or not.

Hungry to eat His Word,
'Guerite ~ BoldLion

Posted by 'Guerite ~ BoldLion | March 2, 2009 7:01 PM

I guess i have to learn to judge less.
That was real sweet.
Thanks for posting this.

Posted by Ire Aigbe | March 3, 2009 5:57 AM

Man, this couldn't have been posted at a better time. I recently found out that a girl in one of my classes with some facial piercings and an odd fashion style - whom I had labeled - is a Christian. Yeah, totally surprised me and made me rethink my "labeling" process.

Anyways, this post just drove that whole point home, as I struggle so much with not judging people. It's so easy to just give them a glance, and then file them into the appropriate box, and not have to worry about it. Yet, life doesn't work that way. I can't know what's going on with those people, until I let myself ignore my boxes and files. Let myself escape the supposed order of my thoughts. Just give up on a method of sorting this people, and get to know them. Get to know their hearts. Show them my life, reveal my struggles, and pains. Sure, I've never dyed my hair a wacky color. Nor have I any odd piercings. Yet, I've struggled. I've felt pain. I've known grief. I've felt the sickening feeling of drowning in this world, all alone. That part of me, longing to know Someone greater then myself, to be able to lie my burdens at His feet and pour my heart out to Him, without the fear of being rejected.

Yet, until I am able to get these storage boxes out of my heart and speak to that girl with purple hair, she won't know these things.

Today, I need to speak to a girl with purple hair.

Posted by Lucy | March 3, 2009 7:36 PM

God is the only one who can judge us, so therefore we have no right to do that.....yet we still do this at times but hey we are humans, we are sinners we fail, but we need to ask God to help us change our ways to help us see everybody the way he does , let us see through the eyes of Jesus. I enjoyed reading this mostly because its something I always tell my mom we always look at someone and tend to judge them right way by what there wearing or acting but God is not like that Man looks at the outward appearance but the Lord looks at the heart. (1 Samuel 16:7)

Posted by gabby | March 4, 2009 12:24 PM

I just want the hair!.....I may take this pic to the hairdresser....:-P

Posted by Derr | March 4, 2009 2:14 PM

dude, you've just judged her again. you've judged her (again) as a person who is nicer than her appearance, kinder than her harsh exterior.

how do you know she was extending you a warm overture with that smile? perhaps that smile was flirtatious, perhaps it was full of mockery. point is: you don't really know.

but by tagging her as a person nicer than her appearance, sorry, but bang, just like that, you've judged her again.

bang.

Posted by girl with the purple hair | March 10, 2009 4:22 PM

i have to agree!!! :-)

Posted by girl with blue hair | March 13, 2009 9:54 PM

I judged that she wouldn't show any friendliness toward me and I was wrong. She smiled. It's true that I don't know all that was going on in her heart. But I was reminded that it's better to believe the best about people instead of expecting the worst. That's my only point.

What's with your sound effects? Bang. Boom. Bam.

Take care.

Posted by Joshua Harris | March 13, 2009 10:19 PM

Great post, Josh! Thanks.

Posted by Mark Altrogge | March 16, 2009 11:41 PM

looks should mean absolutely freaking nothing to anyone except the people wearing them.but some people choose to judge people from what they can only see and touch. but what about what they feel? on the inside? what they know? what they beleive does that mean anything? no. not to some people. to the people who cant see past the material thins, feelings mean absolute shit.well god takes people as they are right? loves them past what he sees? well, why not love me with my piercings and purple hair? why not love the girl with the tattoos and combat boots? remember, christians dont have to be perfect.

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Posted by Crystal P. Mcglynn | May 28, 2009 11:36 AM

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