Whole 30: Day 27 – There is No Flaw in You
This morning I woke up and did an exercise called “Morning Pages.” It’s a concept which originated with Julia Cameron who wrote “The Artist’s Way.”
The idea is that when you get up in the morning, the first thing you do is journal out all your thoughts, feelings, and whatever else is plaguing your mind (positive and negative). In those pages, you are able to flush out everything and even awaken the creative side in you. You also receive clarity of mind and may even gain direction in something you’ve been wondering what next steps to take. I often journal my prayers in the morning as well, as writing helps me to stay focused and on task.
Yet, today as I allowed myself to be completely open and honest with both God and my journal, I realized something very significant: I really love my hair.
Now, let me tell you why that is significant. Naturally, my hair is very curly and can sometimes get dry. A lot of women with my type of hair have chosen at some point in their life to chemically relax it, to get rid of the curls and have straight hair. We do this out of the media, trained perception we have that straight hair is more beautiful and thus, to be beautiful, we need to have straight hair. I believe I was 6 years old when I first straightened my hair and up until I was 22, I kept my hair straight most days through chemicals, the blow dryer, and straightening iron.
However, due to the bold step of my friend Camara Gaither to go natural and stop straightening her hair, I realized that my natural curly hair could be beautiful. After 16 years, I couldn’t even remember what my natural hair looked like. So on September 18, 2011, I did the “big chop” and cut off all my chemically straight hair and left only the natural curls I had allowed to grow out in the roots. I fell in love with my curls – how they felt, how they looked, and what they represented. They represented me taking a step against how I thought my hair should look, to actually embrace how I my hair was actually supposed to look. It was me embracing the type of hair God created me to have.
Now, am I saying its bad for women to straighten their hair? No, not at all. I just think we need to make sure we aren’t doing it out of a desire to be more beautiful in others’ eyes. Instead, we most hold fast to the words of truth in the Bible that say that “You are altogether beautiful my darling, there is no flaw in you” (Song of Songs 4:7). My sisters,you are altogether beautiful. Your hair is altogether beautiful. Your body is altogether beautiful. You are beautiful – there is NO flaw in you.
Stop wasting your time to reach a deceptive and degrading definition of beauty. Instead, listen to the words of your Creator who said that you are beautiful, there is no flaw in you. Aim to let “your beauty not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight. For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to adorn themselves” (1 Peter 3:3-5).
And Men – I know you also think you need to be muscular and strong to be handsome and attractive. That is a lie from the pit of hell. The words above apply to you too. Your attractiveness, your beauty is not from how you look but is from your personality, your integrity, your humility, etc. You and women alike are made in the image of God and have value/worth beyond your outward appearance.
So my sisters and brothers, I challenge you BOTH today to sit and ask yourself a few questions:
- What does the media/society say is beautiful/attractive?
- How have I let that definition positively or negatively affect me?
- What is my definition of beautiful/attractive? What is God’s definition of beautiful? Do they line up?
- What steps can I take to embrace the person (physically, mentally, spiritually, and emotionally) that God has created me to be?
Today is a significant day for me because for the first time in a long time, I felt my hair and realized just how beautiful my curls are and how much I treasure them. I confess that over the last 4 years of being natural, I didn’t always feel that way. I would get annoyed with the way my hair tangled and how it needed so much attention to be healthy. There were many times I just let my hair get tangled and threw it up in a bun because I was sick of it. However, after getting an oil treatment and getting all the bad ends cut off on my birthday this year, I fell in love with my hair again and saw how beautiful it is. I saw that it’s a part of who I am, so I should embrace it, treasure it, and take care of it.
So what does this have to do with Whole 30? Everything. Whole30 isn’t just about eating better and taking care of your body food/exercise wise. Whole 30 is about learning to value your entire being and see that you are worth quality food, proper rest, appropriate exercise, fun days, and consistent self-care.
You as a human being are worth taking care of, but do you believe that? I can tell you that all day, every day but until you believe it for yourself, no transformation will happen. I challenge you to dig deep down inside and ask yourself how you view yourself and if you truly love who you are. My friends, I know God loves who you are. He made you in his image, he sent his Son to give His life so you could know His love every day, so you could be with Him for all eternity.
Yet, you must choose to accept that love from God and you also must choose to love yourself. You must value yourself. You must let the lies die and let the truth remain that you are valuable, worth it, and priceless.
Remember, “You are altogether beautiful, my darling. There is no flaw in you” (Song of Songs 4:7).
