Unruly on purpose

My whole life I have had these annoying baby hairs around my face that curl up and refuse to cooperate with any hairstyle. My hair has always been wavy, but because I did not know how to style it, I used to brush it out until it was somewhat straight. When I started junior high, I bought a straightener and used it nearly every day. Even then, on a humid or rainy day, the baby hairs around my face would inevitably curl up, reminding me I had never really figured out how to manage my hair.

Not too long ago, I decided to go to a curly hair salon where they specialize in teaching people how to embrace and care for their natural hair. When the stylist asked me what type of hair I had, I told him it was just a bit wavy. By the time he finished cutting and styling, I was surprised by this new version of my hair.

before...

after!

But here is the thing- my hair did not actually change. Only the way I chose to embrace it and bring out its natural beauty did. For 25 years, I resented this part of me because it felt disruptive and did not fit what I thought was beautiful. Yet, when a professional got his hands on it and taught me how to work with it, for the first time, I began to appreciate what I had always had but never knew how to enjoy.

I think sometimes we do this with other parts of us, too, like our personalities and dreams. God has created each of us uniquely, with quirks and aspirations different from those around us. When we do not know how to navigate those differences, we often hide them instead of embracing them. Yet when we bring our real selves to Jesus, He knows how to care for those parts of us in a way that allows us to walk more fully in who we are.

What part of you has been hidden because you do not quite know how to embrace it? Maybe it is physical. But maybe it is something on the inside: honesty that feels intrusive, deep emotion that scares others, leadership that feels intimidating…

Whatever it is, I hope today you will bring it to Jesus and ask Him to make sense of it. The things that once felt unruly or like an annoyance can become our greatest strengths when we bring them to the One who made them perfectly.