better with age
I have disturbing news...
I almost hate to say it "outloud"...
(Come on Linda, you can do this)
*deep breath......*
THIS WEEK I PULLED OUT TWO GRAY HAIRS!!!!
*sigh*
There.
I said it.
Apparently, I'm getting older.
It's happening and I can't seem to avoid it.
Today, I went to a bridal shower for a young friend of mine. I found myself at a table of very lovely people slightly younger and hipper than myself.
Man I felt old.
They were all charging through their twenties ready to take on the world. They talked about things that I had no clue about. There I sat, firmly settled in my mid thirties mostly smiling and listening.
I felt old.
But you know what? As I sat there listening to them, I admired them and appreciated them, but I did not want to be them. I like the girl that I was in my twenties but I would not want to go back and be her again.
Without any pride or lack of humility, I believe I can honestly say that I am improving with age in almost every way. Yes, I notice the crows feet sneaking in and *gasp* the few stray gray hairs, but with those things have come wisdom, grace, confidence in who I am.
Slowly but surely I am embracing the person that I am inside an out. A person that I sometime have struggled not to hate, let alone really love and be proud of. I'm learning to trust the Lord with my life instead of trying make it happen myself and in that, I have found a freedom that it has taken me 33 years to find.
No, not everyday is perfect now. I can't always see all the things I have to offer. Sometimes all I see is the disaster and I can't see that strong, confident, slightly more put together woman who is rising up out of the mess, coming into her own a little bit more everyday.
I mean this in every way, mind, body and spirit. I want to continue to grow stronger and more confident in all of those areas as I walk through each day of my life.
I can't help but smile thinking back on a vibrant twenty-something who thought she had so much to offer the world. I smile because I now know as a thirty-something that I actually have nothing of consequence to offer the world except Jesus and whatever He can use me to do. That is freedom to me. He chooses me and He uses me. That is beautiful.
Yes, much of the wild ridge-running twenty-something is still inside of me, but slowly but surely I am settling into life.
Today I actually thought to myself, "I can't wait to see who I am at 40."
I'm like a fine wine people. I am getting better with age. I think we all have the choice to. We shouldn't peak in high school, or college, or at out wedding. We should continue to grow as we follow Jesus all the days of our lives.
Even with everything that doesn't make sense to me about my life. Even without the dreams that I might wish would come true. Even with my failures past and present. Even with the thins I would improve about myself.
I like me at 33.
I almost hate to say it "outloud"...
(Come on Linda, you can do this)
*deep breath......*
THIS WEEK I PULLED OUT TWO GRAY HAIRS!!!!
*sigh*
There.
I said it.
Apparently, I'm getting older.
It's happening and I can't seem to avoid it.
Today, I went to a bridal shower for a young friend of mine. I found myself at a table of very lovely people slightly younger and hipper than myself.
Man I felt old.
They were all charging through their twenties ready to take on the world. They talked about things that I had no clue about. There I sat, firmly settled in my mid thirties mostly smiling and listening.
I felt old.
But you know what? As I sat there listening to them, I admired them and appreciated them, but I did not want to be them. I like the girl that I was in my twenties but I would not want to go back and be her again.
Without any pride or lack of humility, I believe I can honestly say that I am improving with age in almost every way. Yes, I notice the crows feet sneaking in and *gasp* the few stray gray hairs, but with those things have come wisdom, grace, confidence in who I am.
Slowly but surely I am embracing the person that I am inside an out. A person that I sometime have struggled not to hate, let alone really love and be proud of. I'm learning to trust the Lord with my life instead of trying make it happen myself and in that, I have found a freedom that it has taken me 33 years to find.
No, not everyday is perfect now. I can't always see all the things I have to offer. Sometimes all I see is the disaster and I can't see that strong, confident, slightly more put together woman who is rising up out of the mess, coming into her own a little bit more everyday.
I mean this in every way, mind, body and spirit. I want to continue to grow stronger and more confident in all of those areas as I walk through each day of my life.
I can't help but smile thinking back on a vibrant twenty-something who thought she had so much to offer the world. I smile because I now know as a thirty-something that I actually have nothing of consequence to offer the world except Jesus and whatever He can use me to do. That is freedom to me. He chooses me and He uses me. That is beautiful.
Yes, much of the wild ridge-running twenty-something is still inside of me, but slowly but surely I am settling into life.
Today I actually thought to myself, "I can't wait to see who I am at 40."
I'm like a fine wine people. I am getting better with age. I think we all have the choice to. We shouldn't peak in high school, or college, or at out wedding. We should continue to grow as we follow Jesus all the days of our lives.
Even with everything that doesn't make sense to me about my life. Even without the dreams that I might wish would come true. Even with my failures past and present. Even with the thins I would improve about myself.
I like me at 33.
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