GraceFox

So…yesterday was my birthday. I won’t tell you how old I am; let’s just say I’m in the second half of my first hundred years.

Aging is an interesting process, don’t you think? My body is starting to act like an old car – it creaks and leaks occasionally. The skin on my neck is starting to sag a wee bit. My upper arms wiggle in the wind if they’re not sleeved. And my hair…well, that’s another story. It’s developing gray highlights with absolutely no effort on my part.

My body protests a bit when I bend down or get down onto the floor. It aches a bit when I rise in the morning. It’s not the suave, sleek shell it used to be; it takes more effort to keep it in reasonable shape these days. Yup, my body’s definitely getting older, but don’t tell my brain. It still thinks I’m 22. 

Proverbs 16:31 says, “Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is gained by living a godly life.” As my body ages and my hair turns gray, I look back and give thanks for the life the Lord has given me. It’s been a journey with bumps and detours, highs and lows like everyone else in the world experiences. But all along the way, He’s been my faithful travel companion. He’s shown me how to be content in my circumstances, given me strength in times of weakness, and joy in times of sorrow. He’s shown patience when I’ve been slow to understand the lessons He wanted me to learn. He’s granted forgiveness when I’ve blown it, and skillfully brought good from bad.

Yes, my graying hair proves that there’s a lot of life behind me. Hopefully there’s a lot ahead. I look forward to whatever the next year brings knowing my travel companion will be with me every step of the way.