I love fashion - what's the latest trend, what's cool, cute, on sale - BUT certainly not WRINKLED! Well, come with me to God's Word - where the robes are neatly pressed, for sure - however, the wrinkles are where all wrinkles go on anyone past 40.....and NOT on the robes - so look again....and remember, there were no anti-aging wrinkle creams available at the Mall or their favorite Internet cosmetics store then! The wrinkles were resplendent for all to see!
And so what? For you see, wrinkles might matter to us; they DON'T matter to God!
Ask some radical robe-wearing saints in the Bible......Abraham and Sarah, Moses, Anna...Wrinkles don't matter when you're wearing God's Robe and doing His Will!
Oh, sure, use the wrinkle-creams as much as you can...but don't let the aging process wear you down. Know that we serve an ageless God...and if He can use Abraham, Sarah, Moses, and Anna, He can use YOU--and ME--righteous wrinkles and all--remember, the Robes of Righteousness are without flaw and wrinkle-free!!
Wear that rad Robe of Righteousness with pride today; enjoy the blessings and love of the Lord in your life. Share it with another--be a proud, grateful member of the "wrinkled righteous" - and let's everyone over 40 meet me at the CHOCOLATE SHOP to celebrate the years God has given us--and still has ahead of us! I want chocolate-chip, how about you!
P.S. Should you be in the under-40 crowd, don't despair--your day is coming! So just go to the mall and find yourself a "rad robe" - but hold onto that REAL robe of His righteousness designed just for you! You might want to save this devo, along with your magnifying mirror--might be able to use it that day when YOUR first real wrinkle appears!!
--Adapted from a former devo. Read this complete devotional here!.
--Copyright 2008 by Peggie C. Bohanon, Springfield, MO 65803.
Walk in Worship - !
Today's hymn: "The Solid Rock"
Today's prayer: "Lord, I don't like wrinkles but they're slowly appearing on this aging body. Let me look past them and see myself as You see me, for in YOUR eyes, I'm wearing a robe of righteousness, in glorious splendor as a child of the King - wrinkles are my reward for a life long served for You. I celebrate a wrinkle-free soul and spirit today, whatever my age, In Jesus' Name, Amen."
Walk the Web - Love, laughter 'n life!
Cartoon of the Day: Reverend Fun
Links of the Day:
Got an iron? . . . Wrinkles
A Celebration for Seniors . . . Ruffles Have Wrinkles! . . . The Aging Process
Mall of America . . . Fashion News: What's Trendy in 2008 . . . Wrinkle creams... (Mayo Clinic)
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Today's Fun 'n Faith: "We're Not Getting Old"
Today at the drugstore the clerk was a gent.
From our purchase the fellow took off ten percent.
We asked for the cause of a lesser amount,
And he answered, "Because of the Senior Discount."
We went to McDonalds for a burger and fries,
And there, once again, got quite a surprise.
The clerk poured some coffee, which he handed to us,
And said, "For you Seniors the coffee is free."
Understand, we're not old. We're merely mature,
But some things are changing, temporarily, I'm sure.
The newspaper print gets smaller each day,
And people speak softer - we can't hear what they say.
Our teeth are our own (we have the receipts),
And our glasses identify people we meet.
Oh, we've slowed down a bit, not a lot, we are sure.
You see, we're not old...we're only mature !
The gold in our hair has been bleached by the sun.
You should see all the damage that chlorine has done !
Washing our hair has turned it all white,
But don't call it gray - saying "blond" is just right.
Our friends all get older...much faster than us !
They seem much more wrinkled, from what we can see.
We've got "character lines," not wrinkles, for sure.
But don't call us old - just call us mature.
The steps in the houses they're building today
Are so high that they take your breath all away.
And the streets are much steeper than 10 years ago.
That should explain why our walking is slow.
But we're keeping up on what's hip and what's new,
And we think we can still dance a mean boogaloo.
We're still in the running. In this we're secure.
WE'RE NOT GETTING OLD - WE'RE ONLY MATURE !
~ Author unknown
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Today's Fun 'n Faith bonus: "Old Age Is a Gift!"
I am now, probably for the first time in my life, the person I have always wanted to be. Oh, not my body! I sometime despair over my body - the wrinkles, the baggy eyes, and the sagging rear. And often I am taken aback by that old person that lives in my mirror, but I don't agonize over those things for long.
I would never trade my amazing friends, my wonderful life, my loving family for less gray hair or a flatter belly. As I've aged, I've become more kind to myself, and less critical of myself. I've become my own friend. I don't chide myself for eating that extra cookie, or for not making my bed, or for buying that silly cement gecko that I didn't need, but looks so avant garde on my patio. I am entitled to overeat, to be messy, to be extravagant. I have seen too many dear friends leave this world too soon; before they understood the great freedom that comes with aging. Whose business is it if I choose to read or play on the computer until 4 a.m, and sleep until noon?
I will dance with myself to those wonderful tunes of the 40s, 50s, 60s, and if I, at the same time, wish to weep over a lost love ... I will.
I will walk the beach in a swim suit that is stretched over a bulging body, and will dive into the waves with abandon if I choose to, despite the pitying glances from the bikini set. They, too, will get old.
I know I am sometimes forgetful. But there again, some of life is just as well forgotten ... and I eventually remember the important things.
Sure, over the years my heart has been broken. How can your heart not break when you lose a loved one, or when a child suffers, or even when a beloved pet gets hit by a car? But broken hearts are what give us strength and understanding and compassion. A heart never broken is pristine and sterile and will never know the joy of being imperfect.
I am so blessed to have lived long enough to have my hair turn gray, and to have my youthful laughs be forever etched into deep grooves on my face. So many have never laughed, and so many have died before their hair could turn silver. I can say "no" and mean it. I can say "yes" and mean it.
As you get older, it is easier to be positive. You care less about what other people think. I don't question myself anymore. I've even earned the right to be wrong.
So, to answer your question, I like being old. It has set me free. I like the person I have become. I am not going to live forever, but while I am still here, I will not waste time lamenting what could have been, or worrying about what will be. And I shall eat dessert every single day.
--Credit: Mikey's Funnies.
