In this day of hair dye, hair plugs and cosmetic surgery, people seem to be trying to hold onto their youth by, “holding back the years”. Although I understand the desire, I also understand the futility. Since nothing can stop the hands of time.
I am reminded of this every morning when I wake up and look in the mirror. The man looking back at me seems so much older than I feel. My hair that was once long, thick, and black is now short, thin, and white. My beard is white and full where there used to be a patch of dark hair here and there.
This reality, though disconcerting at times, is still reality. Therein lies the futility of living a life intent on “holding back the years”.
Yet, even though we all know this is true, there are many who appear totally committed to being something they are not for as long as possible.
Why? I believe it is because this image conscious world is always telling us we are not enough. In some cases, we are being told, we are too old to be seen or too young to be heard.
This is a very sad paradigm to buy into since we are exactly where we should be right now.
This time is our time. These years are our years and attempting to hold them back or push them forward is not only fruitless, it deprives us of being our best regardless of the season of life we are in.
Can we hide who we are from the world? Sure, for a while we can disguise ourselves, but ultimately that façade too will fade.
Can you imagine how different our world would be, if instead of “holding back the years” we all embraced them and allowed the world to see who we really are?
The Bible tells us, “gray hair is a crown of splendor”, if God sees it this way, shouldn’t we.
The world is constantly telling us who we are not. I think we should be telling the world this is who we are. The truth is, we must choose to believe who we are is enough. If we do not, we are either in denial or afraid of who we have become.
If either is true, we must start by admitting it. Then, we will see where we are right now is exactly where we are supposed to be.
So, instead of “holding back the years”, why not let go and let God use us right now, the way the years have shaped us to be used.
2 Corinthians 4:16, “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day”.
