Aging with Grace

As I age, I continuously hear women saying, “I want to age with grace.” What in the world does that mean? Does it mean to smile and bear it, not color your hair, or grit your teeth and act like you like this thing called aging? No. I don’t think it means any of those things. I think it means not to fight it. It means to appreciate that with age comes an inner beauty and, in Christ, a woman who is not just accepting aging but embracing it, exhibiting someone who is content and filled with joy.

I was at the dermatologist – yes, trying to get rid of old age spots on my face 🙂 – and saw this in a book.

There are days when I feel just like that. Where did my life go? Who is this person in a new body with sagging everything? Who put these wrinkles on this face? Sound a little like self-pity? Perhaps. But friends, what I have discovered is when I go down that road (and we all do) it’s time for a heart check. It’s time to reposition myself – take self off the throne and look to Jesus. It’s time to remember that what counts is what is happening on the inside of me, not the outside. I need to be obsessed with Jesus and possessed by His love. Every time I move off the throne and invite Him to take over  – called surrender for those of you who despise the surrender word – He moves in and reminds me of my beauty in Him. 

So all of you out there who are stressing over aging, take a big breath, say a big prayer– something like this: Father, I can’t say that aging is my favorite thing but I can say that I trust you in it. And… help me to know that who I am in you is all that counts and everything you have created is beautiful. 

Joanne