I was standing in line behind a lady who appeared to be in her 80's, with lots of make up doing more harm than help. The three older people in front of me were laughing and telling the cashier she did not remember the good shows like Lassie, Brady Bunch and some I had never heard of. Everyone in line was laughing. The older lady mentioned another one and the man in front of me (probably 30 years younger than her) said she was not old enough to remember that. She was thrilled! She said, "how old do you think I am?" I got nervous because that may not go well. The clever man responded without a breath, "45"! She was beyond proud as she stood taller and smiled at everyone! She said, "you better add 30 years to that!" When the lady left I told that man he was smart but I bet her husband will hear all about this for a week! He said, "yeah, I like to make people feel good. She walked out of there on her toes and probably won't touch down all week!"
I think aging gets a bad rap. I am not making light of the hard things that come when we get older. I am speaking of all of the thought that goes into our physical changes as we age. We are not meant to look 30 when we are 50. Yes, we want to look and feel good and take care of ourselves but society puts too much pressure on people and some people truly have a hard time aging! It is really silly to me because it is very simple. Either you age or you die.
John 10:10, " The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." Satan wants us to be anxious about getting older. He wants us to dread aging and think we cannot do things. As we age we have new opportunities and a strength we did not have in our youth. We have more wisdom! We can have a young, positive, healthy attitude! That is the kind of attitude people like to be around! Being a mentor to the younger generation is a great thing. Proverbs 27: 17, "Iron sharpens iron, So one man sharpens another." And I think being around young people keeps us younger.
Psalm 92: 14, "They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green..." Charles Swindoll said, "Growing old? It's not an oversight. God has decided to let you live this long."
Next time you look in the mirror love who you see. You are a child of God, His beloved. And those smile lines on your face hold a precious memory!