The peace of age...

At 31 sometimes I look in the mirror and fear the effects of the aging process.  Yesterday as Jason and I drove to church with the girls we discussed the signs of aging on our faces.  I pointed out the crow's feet developing around my eyes as he discussed his multiplying gray hairs.  We laughed at our vanity and promised to love each other even if...

I forgot all about our silly conversation...took the girls to Sunday school, grabbed a cup of coffee and headed into church, ten minutes late of course. 

In the middle of worship I noticed something...a woman in her golden years sitting one row in front of me and two people down worshipping God.   She was beautiful, peaceful, and joyful.  As our worship leader prayed between songs she whispered amen and nodded her head, quietly to God, focused on him.  I began to image her life...she most likely is a mother, a grandmother, a wife.  She most likely has experienced mountains and valleys, she most likely has laughed so hard her stomach ached and cried so hard her eyes had no tears left to give.  She has most likely lived at least thirty plus years more than myself, and she holds in her soul the wisdom of age.  The knowledge of experiencing heart ache and surviving it, experiencing joy and savouring it, experiencing trial and growing from it. 

As I sat there taking in this beautiful sight I remembered my silly, vain conversation with my husband and I realized that I was missing the beauty of the signs of age, the signs of wisdom, the signs of peace.

The glory of the young is their strength; the gray hair of experience is the splendor of the old.
Proverbs 20:28-30

Splendor defined means brilliant or gorgeous appearance, glory, grandeur, and great brightness.  As I witnessed God's glory in this aged woman's open devotion to him I saw splendor defined. I didn't see gray hair, wrinkles, or crow's feet.  I saw wisdom, peace, experience, strength and faith; a faith that comes from walking with God and seeing what he can do over time in one's life, a faith I look forward to having.