Going Gray

I found another gray hair this morning. For the last year or two I have seen a few crop up sporadically. Thankfully I still have enough natural highlights in my hair so I can pull each strand out before it becomes too obvious to all. I know that inevitably my efforts will be futile and the gray will eventually take over, but at least now I can fool myself into thinking that I am not getting older too quickly.

I guess we get ourselves into thinking that once we get past a certain age, our usefulness diminishes. The world is so full of ads geared to the youth, showing vibrant people with terrific bodies running down the beach or playing sports and having the time of their lives. Even though we know better, we sometimes get pulled into that way of thinking when it comes to our productivity.

Then I look into God's Word. I see that the Lord called both Jeremiah and Samuel at very early ages in their lives, but He also called Abraham (then known as Abram) at the age of 75 and Moses at the age of 80. God did great works through these men over a long period of time. They didn't stop because they got old; they kept going because they were following after God.

God didn't call me to start writing until I was forty. To a person who finished college and had a career going before getting married at the age of thirty, forty was late for a career change. But I don't question God's timing. The first forty years of my life were preparatory. God knew I would need something to write about and kids I would need to write for.

Don't let age be the judge of your usefulness. God can show you the value of your life. Just ask Him and wait for His response.