Choose Uniqueness

" You have to choose between acceptance and uniqueness. If you are addicted to affirmation, you will become what others want you to be, rather than who you were created to become." Erwin Mcmanus

Exactly one year ago, I felt like I got a word from God. It was not audible, but it was clear. He said to stop coloring my hair. Do you know how I know it was God? Because it was Definity not my idea. After coloring my hair from almost 40 years, I had no intention of stopping. I was, like most women, planning to fight this aging thing every step of the way. Isn't that what we are supposed to do? 

Society, marketing, family, and friends all seem to be in agreement, don't do anything that might reveal your age. I have to admit, I loved whenever someone would be surprised that I was a grandmother! But here I was, trying to decide if I should listen to what God was saying. Why does God care what color my hair is?

I decided the first step was to tell my husband. If he hated the idea, then I could "submit to my husband" and keep coloring my hair. To my surprise he said "go for it!" Then he doubled down and said that it might even be sexy! Say no more!

I began scouring the internet for inspiration and found an amazing community of "Silver Sisters". So many beautiful women that found freedom from the status quo and embracing the amazing color that God gave them. This might not be so bad after all.

Here was the problem, this would not be instant gratification. I assumed it would take about a year. If I was going to grow out the color, I might as well grow out my pixie cut as well. I knew that it would get messy in the middle. I found myself answering questions that no one was asking. Explaining that I wasn't just lazy about making a hair appointment, this was intentional.

I knew the external would be difficult, but the internal was a surprise. It was a bit of a settling in, or a reckoning with, this season of life. I am 55, I am in the latter part of midlife. My kids are grown, and the grandkids are multiplying, and I see more and more of my mom when I look in the mirror.

In a world where it seems many women are striving to look alike and fight to look younger, I have decided to embrace my uniqueness. To accept the way God created me and stop striving to be something else. What I have found is freedom. I realized that I don't have to be anti-age, and neither do you.

I am not suggesting that we all need to go grey, you do what makes you feel the most confident. But choose you. God made you perfectly so embrace all of your amazing uniqueness. There is no comparison. Stop the scroll, stop the striving, and lose the weight of other people's opinions.

I am exactly 1 year in, and I do not have a single regret. If God asked you to do something that you knew would take a year or more, would you do it?