Ravels, New Shirts & Cufflinks

When I returned home from the National Baptist Convention yesterday, I returned with 10 new shirts. They are multi-colored with my last name embroidered on the left collar. More importantly, they have cufflinks.

A few Sundays ago, my old white shirt that I've been wearing, with other old ones for about six years, had a ravel dangling from the sleeve. I didn't see it, but everyone else did, including thousands who watched as I preached on television.

After the service no one remembered what I talked about; only the ravel that floated through the air, clinging to my shirt sleeve everytime I moved my left hand.

Joslyn said that's the end of it. No more ravels. She said I am to get new shirts and cufflinks. Fancy shirts and cufflinks are low on my priority list. I'd rather cut the ravel off the shirt and keep wearing it; but Joslyn says the public will fault her for my ravel, saying "Why does she let him go out like that."

Now I have new shirts and some fancy cufflinks.

I'm not a flashy person. They look good, but they are not "me."

Since they won't ravel soon Joslyn will be pleased.

I have a few ravels in my life that keep showing too. Sometimes I embarass myself and can't focus on what I should be doing because I keep looking at my ravels. Fortunately, God looks at the inside and not the outside.

What does Joslyn think about that?

She says it's true that God sees the inside, but "black folks are not God they only see the ravels"...keep wearing cufflinks!