Standing in front of the mirror, I can see the faintest line, no maybe it’s a hair; actually, I’m not sure what it is – etched on the left corner of my upper lip.

At 62, I have great distance vision but seeing mid-range, well that’s a challenge. Unfortunately, I don’t own a pair of glasses that allows me to clearly see the distance from the sink to the bathroom mirror.

But my husband, he wears glasses, perhaps they will work! I searched his side of the sink until I found them, slid them over my ears, and peered back into the mirror.

Bifocals and I don’t do well. Yet, I was able to find just the right angle to see out the lower right corner of the lens. There it was a black hair. It was obvious it had been growing for a while, hanging over my lip just a smidge. I started to wonder why no one had said anything – husband, girlfriends, total strangers, anyone. Then it dawned on me, all the people I hang out with are my age or older. They couldn’t see it either!

I found the tweezers, plucked all that I could contort my head and my husband’s glasses to see and checked out the rest of my face. I wanted to make certain I didn’t have any other wayward hairs or hidden embarrassing imperfections.

Life is so funny.

Yesterday I was in my 30s. I exercised 6 – days a week, worked fulltime plus, volunteered, and still had the energy to read in the evening, stay awake long after 9:30 PM, and wake up the next day in a good mood to do it all over again.

Today, I get out of bed, walk my 11-year-old male dog (giving you an idea of how slow we move), prepare breakfast, water the garden, and that pretty much does it for the day.

I think I am one of the few that has appreciated the changes COVID-19 has forced on our world. Please don’t get me wrong, I don’t want anyone to get sick, lose their job, life, or future. However, I love the pace, the staying put, the slower days.

I just recently came to grip with this reality – I’m not 30!

And what makes this epiphany so profound is that it has allowed me to accept there is nothing magical about being in your 30s, 40s, or 50s. The magic begins when we can love ourselves right where we are.

The spectacular occurs when we can accept God’s beauty radiating through us even with the embarrassing facial hair, declining physical strength, and no more career to define us.

It is that precious space where we are stripped bare. No longer clinging to our definition of who we are but fully embracing God’s design.

In God’s economy, it has never been about what we look like, after all, He created us. He has never been impressed with our skills or abilities; they are all gifts He provided. It has always been about our hearts, our faith in Him, our willingness to trust Him, and those things, dear Sisters, come with age, maturity, and experience.

Psalm 139:14-16 beautifully expresses God’s perspective regarding us,

Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out; you formed me in my mother’s womb. I thank you, High God—you’re breathtaking! Body and soul, I am marvelously made! I worship in adoration—what a creation! You know me inside and out, you know every bone in my body; You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit, how I was sculpted from nothing into something. Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth; all the stages of my life were spread out before you. The days of my life all prepared before I’d even lived one day.

The Message (MSG)

The world will try to convince us that we are not enough. And that voice will amplify as we mature. But we can stand confident because we are,

A unique creation.

Sculpted by God’s own hands.

Fully known inside and out by the creator of the universe.

Wonderfully marvelously made.

Based on today’s cultural standards and our feelings, we may not be enough but we are loved by a God that is more than enough.

Be blessed His BeLOVED,

---

~Reflections~

Take a few minutes and reread Psalms 139:14-16. When completed reflect on the following questions.

Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out; you formed me in my mother’s womb. I thank you, High God—you’re breathtaking! Body and soul, I am marvelously made! I worship in adoration—what a creation! You know me inside and out, you know every bone in my body; You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit, how I was sculpted from nothing into something. Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth; all the stages of my life were spread out before you. The days of my life all prepared before I’d even lived one day.

Psalms 139:14-16 (MSG)

1. What lies have the world told you that makes you feel less than, not enough?
2. How does the passage in Psalm help you shift your perspective from doubt to trusting that God is more than enough?
3. What is one step you can take today that will help you believe that you are wonderfully and marvelously made?  

---

One of my new favorites, enjoy!

Have My Heart – Maverick City | TRIBL