Have you ever wanted to shave your head? Did you go through with it? Were you worried what other people would think if you did it?
As some of you may know, my best friend Carolyn was diagnosed with breast cancer and is currently going through chemo. She really didn’t want to lose her hair but knew that it was inevitable. She decided to take matters into her own hands and cut her hair short so that she wouldn’t see big clumps of it falling out. She asked me to go with her and I told her that I would cut mine off too in solidarity. Some of my friends and family didn’t think that I would go through with it. To so many people, long hair and femininity go hand in hand. I wanted to prove to Carolyn, myself, and the world that you can still be beautiful with a bald head.
Okay, I know I didn’t have a completely bald head. My hairdresser left some hair on my head. I could feel the uneasiness my hairdresser had when I told them to shave it off. They said they would leave some in case I changed my mind. One thing to know about me is I am stubborn. If I make up my mind that I am going to do something, watch out! I will give it my all. I don’t change my mind often and I didn’t change my mind about chopping off my hair.
Being there to support my friend was only one of the reasons I shaved my head. I spent my entire marriage with long hair to try and please my husband. He told me on multiple occasions that I should never cut my hair any shorter than shoulder length because he only likes long hair. He also wanted me to wear makeup, heels, and dresses but I have never been a girly girl. I’d rather wear something comfortable like jeans and an oversized t-shirt. Since I am currently in the process of getting divorced, shaving my head was a way to rebel against my husband’s and quite frankly, the world’s standard of beauty. It felt good to let go of the pressure to be a certain person and look a certain way in order to be considered beautiful.
If you have ever thought about shaving your head but were worried about what other people would think, just do it! I am so glad that I did and I haven’t regretted it even for a minute.
Father,
To be joyfully defiant in a turbulent and tired world takes a supernatural power that comes only from Living Water. Quench our thirst for it daily. Give us Jesus. We want more and more of Him. Search our hearts, renew our minds, and cleanse us from our daily sins. Father, when we face hard conversations in person and on our news feeds, empower us with Holy Spirit grace and wisdom so our words honor You. Fill us on exhausting and draining days, when merely listening to the news around the world is more than we can bare. Our daily circumstances are often new and unfamiliar these days. Calm us as we walk through uncharted situations and seek wise solutions. Let all those around us who are clinging to things and people who cannot sustain them witness our joyful defiance and know the love of Jesus.
Amen
https://www.ibelieve.com/faith/prayers-of-joyful-defiance-in-a-tired-world.html
Mindy Christine Photography 