Changes Come in Different Ways

As I have already mention in a previous post, our variable plans often bring about changes we never considered at the onset. Mine from even a few days ago have been re-adjusted to accommodate life's quirks that have come our way as of lately. I do not believe at this point that I will be able to complete my plans on the house as I would have liked. Mom and Dad are coming for a short over night visit this weekend. So the underlying need to wrap up the decorating in order to have unlimited time to visit is foremost in my mind. I know how Mom loves the holiday decorations and she loves to come and be surrounded by mine. Especially when she has stated that they will not be putting out very many or putting up a tree this year. It is hard for me to think of a time to come, when I would choose not to put up a tree nor decorate this time of a year. But the reality is that it could happen, as we never know what circumstances we may find ourselves, in the future. I take comfort in the fact that over half of the house was deep cleaned before hand and the rest will easily wait till a future date. Cleaning is always a part of home maintenance, a fact that never changes, unless you chose to hire someone else to do it for you. For me I think it is a portion of what God intended for women, in the roles as Wives and Mothers. We are not called "keepers of the homes" for no reason. He knew that to provide stability in the homes, someone needed to be present at all times to exemplify His love and grace to those within it's walls, to create a haven for the souls under it's roof. I have always seen this as my calling in life and have been honored in trying to fulfill HIS plan for me.

I was able to wrap up the decorating in all the rooms by late Saturday. There are a few items that needed to be completed in order to be as close to perfect as I can pull off. But if they are left undone it will only be my eyes to see them. So why worry! Perfection is not the key to enjoying the celebration, it is the willingness to be content with what we have, that will bring a fullness to our lives.

Another type of change came into our home today that has nothing to do with the Christmas celebrating activities. A type of change that has been considered for many, many years. One that has been a constant companion of mine for the past year in trying to decide what to do about it. One that was a step of courage on my part. A change that required that I embrace the statement to the right of this page. Of being true to who I am, of embracing the real me, quirks and all. I chose this past Thursday to stop coloring my hair. For 50 years I have been a brunette naturally and by way of a bottle of hair color. Gray hairs started developing in my middle 20's, much to my dismay. They have steadily marched across my scalp and have joined hands for many years now. Developing headaches and migraines at each coloring session this past 6-9 months have been a signal to me that maybe now was the time to let go and go gray. After all I am 52 and by all societal charts fall into the senior years of life. Though I still believe that you are as young as you think you are, regardless of what the calendar says. I don't feel old and I certainly did not want to look it. I still have a lot of life to live and needed to convince those around me that I am still capable. Today was my coming out of the "coloring" closet, so to speak. Amazement was had by all at the results of uncovering my "crown of glory". It was a sure sign to me that I should have done this earlier than I have. Everyone so far has loved the new look, saying it has taken years off my face and the compliments are still flowing in from every direction. WOW! All of it has astounded me and the freedom it will bring to my life will be a blessing I am sure. I have only been a blond one other time in my life, at the age of 2 or so. But even then it was more white than blond, courtesy of Mom's youthful hair color genes and the bleaching affects of the sun, when we lived in Florida for a couple of years. I have come full circle now and am heading back to my roots. (Yes, pun intended). Thankfully God has blessed me with a gorgeous color of silver for my graying years. I plan to shine for HIS glory and as a testament to HIS faithfulness to me.

This change comes at a time in my life when He has brought me to a point of acceptance, for the life I have lived thus far. Tomorrow marks the 34th anniversary of my terrible wreck on December 5, 1974, one caused at the hands of another driver. I have always been and always will be thankful for the Lord's hand on me that day. It could have easily taken my life and I felt and still do, that I had been blessed by God to be alive, despite the amount of damage to my body. Several good things came out of that challenge, that have brought me blessings over these past 34 years. Plenty of writing subjects for future revelations. I don't know what kind of person I would be today if I had not gone through it all. So to count all the years given to me from that day forward and to acknowledge the life I have lived. It seems only fitting to celebrate the gray hairs of a long lived life.

Celebrate your life it only comes around once.

Deborah