Gray is Ok With Me

Everything is good that He creates.

Accepting that I’m growing older hasn’t always been hard, but accepting that I’m looking older has been a challenge these past few years. Am I the only one feeling this way or have some of you struggled with this? It’s been a few years now since I received conviction of no longer coloring my hair and about a year since I've completely stop coloring to let my gray hair come in naturally. Although it’s been a slow progression, I'm finally free of wondering and asking myself ‘can people see my straggling grays? I hope she doesn’t notice my gray roots coming in. I hope they don’t think I don’t care how I look’. I am no longer a slave to these thoughts and I’m free of worrying. Now everyone can see my grays and I’m ok with that.


We live in a society that can make us feel rejected if we don’t follow ‘the norm’. What is the norm any way? Something that is forever tossed about which can be hard to maintain. It seems, people seek to receive approval from mankind. Approval from mankind? Hmmm, I had to ask myself, was I still searching for approval on this issue in the wrong place and why hadn’t I realized it? Why was I still caring about what others perceived about my self-image? Something just didn’t sit right with me as I reflected on this. The Holy Spirit was obviously convicting me of a change which needed to take place. And it was more than just the color of my hair.

In the interview (A Real Proverbs woman!) I heard today with Paula Swayne and Paul Nison of Torah Life Ministries and Raw Life, Paula states that prior to her convictions, she saw herself in beauty through the eyes of the world. As her interview continued, Paula recollects a previous discussion with a sister about where she sought approval. Paula was asked: “Don’t you want to look the way God created you to be? Don’t you think God knows what beauty is? Everything is good that He creates.” Her friend also asked her why she couldn’t be happy with the color of her hair that God gave her and the way it had evolved. Paula states that those words really spoke to heart and she was then convicted to stop wearing make-up and stop coloring her hair. As I heard these words spoken today in the interview, I felt blessed knowing that the words Yahweh(God) spoke to me two years ago, were special words to me also: that He created me and loves me as his creation, and that I don’t need to change my outward appearance for Him.

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him;

male and female created he them. Genesis 1:27

And God saw everything that he had made , and, behold, it was very good.

And the evening and the morning were the sixth day. Genesis 1:31

In my personal journey as I strive to please Yahweh(God) in all that I say, do and think, I’m realizing daily that committing to obedience to Him and dying to flesh is not always an easy task. I still struggle with letting go and letting Yah(God). I’m grateful for a daily reminder that He is our Creator and He did not place us here for our own musings but to be His dutiful servant and to bring glory to Him. Embracing this reminder makes it easier for me to let go.

Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory,

I have formed him; yea, I have made him. Isaiah 43:7

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God

hath before ordained that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:1

As I focus on understanding how to seek His face, how to please and to seek God's approval only, I’m experiencing freedom like never before. Freedom of no longer fearing what mankind will think since my focus should be continually on Yahweh. My fear should not be the fear of man, or what he thinks. I'm learning that what matters is that I seek Yahweh’s approval.

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever. Psalms 111:10

Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil. Proverbs 3:7

I thank Yahweh(God) and praise His holy name for having patience with me as I'm a work in progress, one pebble at a time.


My challenge to you: May you allow yourself to be open for Yahweh to continually be at work with you and be obedient to every conviction that He gives you.


If you're interested in learning more on the effects of dying hair, please read the following.

Health Related Information Regarding Coloring Hair
Your scalp has a very rich blood supply that is more than capable of transporting the toxins in hair dyes throughout your entire body.

Toxins Found in Hair Dyes
According to an article on Dr. Mercola’s site. Hair dyes are classified as a personal care product and the government doesn’t require any mandatory testing for these products before they hit store shelves. So literally anything goes.

The Environmental Working Group has ranked 456 hair colors in their Skin Deep cosmetics database, and roughly 400 of them are considered high hazard because they contain toxins linked to Cancer

• Developmentive and reproductive toxicity
• Neurotoxicity
• Immunotoxicity and organ toxicity
• Allergies and irritation of the eyes, skin or lungs

This is what may be found in hair dyes of “chestnut brown” or “ash blonde” -- or in the dyes used at your salon:

• Para-phenylenediamine and tetrahydro-6-nitroquinoxaline, both of which have been shown to damage genetic material and cause cancer in animals.
• Coal tar, a known carcinogen (one investigation found that 71 percent of hair dyes contain coal tar)
• Formaldehyde, a preservative linked to cancer, developmental and reproductive toxicity and more.
• DMDM Hydantoin, another preservative that is a known immune system toxin (and has been restricted for use in cosmetics in Japan).
• Eugenol, a fragrance ingredient that’s associated with cancer, immunotoxicity, neurotoxicity and allergies.

For more information on the ingredients in your hair colour box, you can vist Skin Deep cosmetics database.


Are There Health Concerns From Dying Your Hair?
Research does show there is a link to certain illnesses.For more information regarding hair dyes and bladder cancer, please visit Dr. Mercola’s post Hair Dyes Raise Bladder Cancer Risk For more information regarding the link between hair dyes and the development of rheumatoid arthritis, please visit Dr. Mercola’s Post Hair Dye Use Linked to Rheumatoid Arthritis

The above study stopped short of saying that coloring your hair can cause cancer, but before you take that as a green light, you should know that other studies have found a clear-cut link. For instance, one study of nearly 900 people found that women who used permanent hair dye at least once a month were twice as likely as women who did not use permanent hair dye to develop bladder cancer. Meanwhile, those who reported regular use of the hair dye for at least 15 years were more than three times as likely to develop bladder cancer as non-dye users. A separate study also found that women who use hair dyes for more than 20 years may nearly double their risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis.

Information taken from www.Dr.Mercola.com 

Blessings ~ Carmen