Mike sent the following joke. It got me thinking.
In a hat shop, a saleslady gushed: “That’s the hat for you! It makes you look ten years younger.” “Then I don’t want it,” retorted the customer. “I certainly can’t afford to put on ten years every time I take off my hat!”
Sadly, there’s a whole lot of truth in that statement. We live in a culture that worships youth and minimizes old age.
In order to always look young, people dye their hair, diet, have elective cosmetic surgery, exercise, wear “age defying” makeup, choose the hippest clothes, or wear clothes that cover up weight gain, the list goes on and on……
But I think our culture has it backward. Gray hair and the age that comes with it has many advantages.
By living a long time, I’ve made a huge number of mistakes. Certainly, I’ve made more mistakes than a young person. That’s because I’ve had more time to make wrong turns, open my mouth when I should keep it shut, refuse to read the directions, touch an electric fence, shot a water pipe with a BB gun, flip a tractor, put a grain drill in a tree, get stuck in a snow bank in the middle of New Mexico, accidentally ski down a black-diamond slope, shot the house with a shotgun while trying to kill a rattlesnake, the list goes on and on…..
If there’s one thing that shows I have true expertise, it’s making wrong choices. But with these wrong choices and their consequences, comes the wisdom to know not to do it again. In fact, of all the mistakes I listed, the only two I still make are opening my mouth too often and refusing to read the directions. So, I did learn.
This is what Job meant by saying, “Is not wisdom found among the aged? Does not long life bring understanding?” (Job 12:12)
This morning, if you look in the mirror and see more wrinkles than yesterday, don’t be upset. That’s a good thing. You had one more day to learn.
Prayer: Dear Gracious Heavenly God, Help me learn from my mistakes. Help me grow into the person you designed me to be. Use me to help others. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
Now that I’ve had a little more time to think about it, I don’t want to relive my youth. That’s because, when I was young, I knew everything. Now that I’ve got a lot of years under my belt, I have come to understand I don’t know much. That means I have to depend on the One who does.
That’s a good thing.
I pray your day is filled with joy and laughter.
Tom Robbins
Daily Devotionals by Dr. Tom Robbins 