I stared at my face in the mirror.
How it seems to have changed lately. I saw unmistakable lines making their home on my forehead. Mom always said to moisturize my neck, and now I see why. Crinkly skin moves with each swallow. And where did these jowls come from? My droopy face reflected that gravity was a law I could not break.
I chuckled and stepped away from the mirror. I’m not afraid of getting older. It is simply funny when it happens to you. My wizened skin now packages a spirit that has learned where true wisdom comes from.
When I was younger, I thought I had plenty of wisdom. I remember my effort to pick the perfect school for the perfect major to land the perfect job. The ideal guy to marry must be found. My skin lacked wrinkles then. I was internally driven. Not that being driven isn’t a good thing, but my focus relied on what I alone had to do to meet my goals. I didn’t see the big picture of my life as God does. I thought my wisdom was enough.
That’s why I think Job says “advanced years should teach wisdom.” Many of us think we are wise when we are young, but we don’t have enough life experience to know what we don’t know.
Although I’m still driven, I have learned to trust God with the driving direction in my life. Doing so required much practice—and I still don’t do it perfectly every time. God knows what I don’t know. In God’s infinite wisdom, He sees how it all works together. My human wisdom sees a limited view of God’s plan and my place in it.
As I age, I’ve learned we can receive far more peace trusting God’s wisdom rather than our own incomplete wisdom. We don’t have to wait for old age and wrinkles before we ask for that kind of wisdom.
Meanwhile, on my mom’s and my advice, remember to moisturize your neck. Ignoring good advice may lead to a prematurely wrinkled neck such as the one I see in the mirror.
(Photo courtesy of pixabay.)
(For more devotions, visit Christian Devotions.)
Carol Ogle McCracken has been a Bible teacher for twenty years. She has served on church staff in leadership development roles and in women’s ministry for thirty years. She presently owns a wedding planning company on the Gulf Coast. Her passion is to make the Bible come alive for women and to connect it to a real relationship with Jesus Christ in today’s busy and demanding world.