 |
| Roots and all! |
Today's topic is grey hair. You may be thinking something like "really grey hair?", but I assure you it does have value. Let me explain.....
On 10/8/17, just one week ago, I committed on Facebook to stop coloring my hair and seriously reduce my use of make-up. This included a "selfie". As I was writing a rather lengthy post, I though to myself, "You should really blog about this as it's too long for FB". So here I am. Writing about my grey hair. I will never forget the day I was first informed about it. I was on the beach with family and friends. My father looked at me and said, "You have some sand in your hair" and tried to brush it out. It clearly did NOT brush out. I looked in the mirror to see a small patch of about 12-15 hairs clumped in my part up front near my forehead. I was 26 and I was crushed. This cannot be happening already?!
Fast forward many more years and the grey hairs seemed to keep cropping up all over. I don't remember exactly when I decided I wasn't going to take it any more and started coloring. At first, I used store bought and did it myself. Next, I went to the salon. Then I decided I didn't want to pay for it and went back to the $8 box of store bought color. Now, I am 48. Recently I cut all my hair off with the intention of growing out the grey. It lasted about 2-3 inches or 4-6 months worth and I caved and colored again. I told myself there is no reason a 40 something needs to have grey hair. It can wait until the 50's.
On October 8th, I realized 50 isn't that far off. Less than two years in fact. Now don't misunderstand me. If you are 40, 50, 60 or 70+ something and coloring your hair there is NOTHING wrong with that. Color as you feel led. I just know that for me something changed and I decided it was no longer a necessary maintenance chore. I mean there are already so many we women have to keep up with. After browsing Pinterest (I told you had a problem) and seeing so many women with heads of glorious grey hair, I chose to quit. Now, I had literally just bought a box of color that day to put on before church the next morning. It currently sits into the bathroom cabinet as a reminder not to do it.
This hair coloring issue coincided with several other changes I felt led to make. More about those in later blogs. As I am rather self conscious about how I look, both in person and amplified in print, it seemed important to begin loving who I am...just as I am. That is where the "Embracing Imperfection" tab got its start on this blog. Photographing myself daily for 365 days makes me want to crawl back under the covers. I look at those pictures and see every single minute flaw. It is impossible not to critique my hair, my wrinkles, my freckles, my long nose and chin, my wide eyes and even my grey hair. Sometimes I take the picture and I go with the first one. Most times I re-take and re-take and re-take until I have to tell myself to just post it already. It has only been like 6 days and they have been some of the longest let me just tell you. Knowing I am going to have to do another one in 24 hours is honestly painful. It occurs to me I haven't done today's and I am beginning to sweat!
Ok, so what you say. Your hair is grey what's the big deal? Lots of people have grey hair. They don't make this much over it. You are right! Lots of people have grey hair and don't make a deal over it at all. So why do I? That's exactly the point. I am no different as a person if I have grey hair, black hair, red hair or no hair at all. It doesn't define who I am on the inside. Unless it does if I spend more focus on the outside than I do on the inside. That's exactly where I was. The majority of my time was spent focusing on the outside. How I looked to other people. Not how I looked to other people. My focus is suppose to be on Jesus. Spending my time becoming more like him NOT like the world thinks I should look. I want people to see Him in me, not boxed color on me.
When you are spending your time and focus on the things not of Christ, you are headed in the wrong direction. It doesn't have to be looks. It can be money, houses, cars, promotions, or possessions. Those things become more important than who you are as a person. They steal your time, your life, your money, your family and friends and so much more. I believe the bible shares the type of person we are suppose to be and where we are to focus our energy. It is clear about caring for your body as it relates to your ability to serve His purpose. My attention was misdirected to self and not to Him. That is NOT where I want to be. For me, that means no more hair color.
What does it mean for you?
Telling my story and giving HIM glory!
Mally
Comments