“Even to your old age and gray hairs
    I am he, I am he who will sustain you.
I have made you and I will carry you;
    I will sustain you and I will rescue you”

Isaiah 46:4

Well, I’ve tried to hide it, but it’s becoming pretty obvious.  My body is completely breaking down: gray hair, bifocals, fallen arches, joint problems, the list goes on.  I even found myself in a discussion with a friend not long ago, commenting on the fact that now, instead of Victoria’s Secret catalogs, I am getting Orthotic Shoe catalogs and really finding some good deals.  WHAT IS THAT ALL ABOUT??

I always said I planned to age gracefully, but that was like, 20 years from now.  So I have spent the last few years trying to cover up my decline.  Bottles and creams, vitamins, and dyes… I have tried it all.

But I realized today that even my eyebrows are turning gray.  What am I going to do now?  To what extremes am I willing to go in order create a false image of myself?  And I wonder why this is such an obsession for me.  In many countries, age is representative of wisdom and experience.  The aged are revered and respected.  But not here, in our culture.  Here, we fear getting older and fight it with every chemical at our disposal.

I fear that our culture is losing a valuable asset in our aging population.  We are losing a wealth of experience, knowledge, and yes, church tradition.  Where will we be in the next generation if we don’t stop and embrace the value that comes from this season of life?

I am so very thankful for those organizations that work to serve the aging in our community.  These folks not only take care of and support our older population, but most tell me how much they learn from them.  May we all take note and follow their good example.

If you have a heart for our elders, please consider joining one of our many service sites on Magic City Miracle Day:  Fairhaven, Trade Towers, Cherry Hill, Greenbrier, and others.  It will be a blessing not only for the residents of these facilities, but for you as well.

http://www.magiccitymiracle.org

Heavenly Father,

Blessed by Your name as You walk through every season of my life.  The older I get, the more I am assured of Your grace and love for me.  Help me to care for those that have gone before me.  Give me the wisdom to see the value that they are to our community.  And show me how best I am to express respect and love for the aged in my community.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen