Movember and Gray Hair

It is Movember.  Movember is responsible for the sprouting of moustaches on thousands of men’s faces, in Canada and around the world. With their “Mo’s”, these men raise vital funds and awareness for men’s health, specifically prostate cancer and male mental health initiatives.  This is worthy cause, but I won’t be participating this time around.  Not because I don’t agree, but because I have to present some semblance of professionalism in my job and the first week of a ‘Mo’ is not very appealing. Honestly it has nothing to do with the gray…

Anyway. A few months ago I attempted to grow sideburns.  I was quickly thwarted by the gray hairs and I quickly cut it off – much to my wife’s delight I am sure.  But all this got me thinking.  I shaved it off because it was showing signs of gray – not because it was ugly and did not suit me 🙂 (although it was ugly and did not suit me)

I realized my vanity in this odd endeavour and had to ask myself… what is wrong with aging?  Is there anything really wrong with it?  We are blasted on all sides by marketing saying to try the newest “look 10-15-20 years younger remedy” or use this cream to “hide your wrinkles”, or try this hair dye to hide your gray, or try this hair replacement therapy and on it goes.  Some Ladies shell out 80-100-150 or more per month on getting their HAIR done in the latest fashion! Some men spend thousands upon thousands to hide the bald spot.  I am thinning on top as well and it is quite upsetting 🙂  If I am honest I would probably hop on the first free anti-thinning-hair medication…

Last night while in my devotions, I read, “Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is gained in a righteous life.” (Proverbs 16:31)

I thanked God for this simple, yet profound revelation!  I am thinning up top, I am bit more jiggly in the middle, and I have gray sideburns apparently – but these signs of aging are a crown. God tells us so it must be so! Where we are tempted to hide the effects of aging, we should embrace them. Even though we might deplore them, we should celebrate them. Yes wrinkles and gray hair, the effects of growing old are the result of the fall, but the Bible speaks of aging with dignity and grace, and we should do the same. No matter how hard it is for me to admit that I have gray hairs…

So, do not be ashamed to display the signs of age. Balding is a “crown of Glory”, a mark of a life long-lived. I guess my thinning spot is a crown.  Don’t be ashamed of a receding hairline or wrinkles; don’t trouble yourself over a perceived loss of beauty. Accept the processes of aging with grace, and give thanks to God for the life He has granted you. I am not going to judge anyone who dyes their hair,but I am going to think twice about it as I grow older, no matter how tempting it is! And really, most dyed hair  is pretty clearly fake, I mean how many 60 year old men have jet black hair? Is vanity something we should be spending money on? I challenge you to not dye your hair as you age, much to the chagrin of my wife who sells AVON products 😉

I am learning that it’s not easy to lose the trappings of youth. It is so much harder at 34 to lose that 10 pounds than it was even 5 years ago…but remember, the signs of age are the marks of dignity. Why should we buy into the world’s view of beauty, which views the aging process as ugly and unappealing? Such thinking is a lie–and a much-believed one at that. So I intend to live a righteous life, and receive my crown of glory as my hair turns silver (or disappears) graciously.  What about you?