So as most of you know, I recently started dreadlocks as a part of my “Dare Me” fundraiser. Before knotting up my hair, I was full of anticipation and excitement. I had done a ton of research on dreadlocks, watched countless YouTube videos, and spent a good deal of time perusing through Pinterest boards full of girls with perfectly groomed and decorated locks, imagining what I would look like after my hair transformation.
After knotting up my hair into sections, or “baby dreadlocks,” I loved the way my hair looked. It was fun and different. However, things soon got messy. My scalp started itching like crazy. My beautifully sectioned hair began loosening and unravelling. I started to look more like I had clumps of frizzy worms growing out of my head than actual dreadlocks.
Today my dreadlocks are turning two months old and they aren’t quite the Pinterest daydream I was hoping for. There are still loose hairs everywhere, the back of my head resembles a bird nest that is desperately trying to form one giant dread, and people keep asking me things like, “So when are they gonna actually, you know…look like real dreadlocks?”
But here’s the thing: that’s just how dreadlocks work. They don’t mature in just a couple months and they certainly don’t form overnight. They have to go through a long process of loosening, knotting, tightening, and maturing, and things are going to look much worse before they get better.
Isn’t that how life works sometimes? Things start getting messy and you feel like you are completely out of control. But with enough time, patience, and a fair amount of guidance along the way, all the loose hairs will fall into place and form a bond only the most copious amounts of conditioner could sever. (Okay, time to tone down the hair analogies…xD)
But analogies aside, this is exactly how I feel in my relationship with God sometimes. I feel like my life is a crazy, frazzled mess, and I feel helplessly out of control. In these times, I must be patient in trusting God, and through that, my relationship with God will continue to grow and mature into something beautiful.
I struggle with wanting to have control over everything in life, including my hair. But it is when I turn the control over to God that I ultimately find peace.
I’m not sure how long the locks will stick around, but I am thankful for what they have taught me. Who knows? Maybe in a couple months, my dreadlocks will look awesome. But for now, I am thankful for my messy little monsters.
And for those of you wondering: Yes, I do wash my hair. 🙂
Fundraising update:
Thanks to the generosity of my supporters, I am over 25% funded! However, that means I still have 75% to go.
My next goal is to have $7500 by training camp, which is on May 21st. This is the amount that I need in order to launch in July and make sure I can go on the Race. 🙂
If you would like to partner with me by donating to my World Race, click anywhere that says “Support Me!”
Thanks!
-Anna
