What Happened to the Graceful Process?

This picture speaks volumes to the importance of how we should handle ourselves as we grow older (or become more mature). It seems that hardly anyone finds grandeur in the state of aging anymore. Definitely to many, age maturity is outdated. To be “in” requires that one obtain eternal youth.

Well, here I go...mounting my soap box (if I don't slip due to age).

In our society many find embarrassment in having wrinkles, silver hair, etc. Being uncomfortable in themselves has led to an abundant supply of tucked-and-rolled people (in the 60s tuck-and-roll was a term used for car upholstery). However, today it pertains to rearrangement of body parts. With my husband's surgery this month at a UCSF medical facility to remove a cancer, I was shocked at the number of men who accompanied their wives to have facial rearrangement. Yep, these guys (men older than me) were having surgery right along side the wife who had already had one too many plastic jobs done. But why not go back for more? Right?

Finding the Mr. & Mrs. face job duos so prevalent, I went to the telephone yellow pages and wow! What used to take a small portion of one page, now fills a whole page or more. Still don't believe it? Well look at the newspapers and magazines that actively advertise operations to vitalize faces, and overhaul bodies. Men and women in their twilight years no longer find growing old a graceful process.

What happened to the beauty of becoming a mature adult? Beauty isn’t the outward appearance as society would try to make us believe – it is the inner makings of man. It is the part of us that should shed forth warmth, peace and comfort to the younger generation. Our wrinkles should be worn as battle scars of times past where we weathered harsh storms beating at our souls.

Our silvery gray hair should be a reminder of concern and worry for our loved ones and friends that took us to our knees in prayer. Our slowing steps should tell that we no longer must keep the fast pace as in the past but now are more at peace with life and our God because we have fought a good fight and are keeping the faith.

And as for our minds (well, I prefer not to go there – it would be all telling). No, really, our minds should after all these years be filled with goodness, reflections of wonderful days spent with the Lord, of times of laughter and joy with our children and grandchildren - and dwell on the beauty of just being a child of God.

Today I choose to grow old gracefully. Sure, I will stumble and fall like I have all my Christian life – but every time I do, I know the Lord will pick me up so that I can continue to mature in Him (hopefully maturing through my heart).