Aging and Changing

 Call me the minority, call me "weird", call me whatever comes to mind, but I'm just not into social media. Even when I spent a short period of time exploring it years ago, I never really saw its benefits. That's just me. I do enjoy a few channels on YouTube, I listen to a few podcasts, but I just don't get into the others. I tried to maintain an Instagram when our book came out, but I have since been locked out of it somehow, and it's been quite the runaround trying to log back in just to delete it. I deactivated my other social media site and keep it that way only so I can use the messaging services for the less than 3 people who contact me on it regularly. Yeah, I don't have a problem with spending too much time on social media. In fact, I see it as a hindrance, and I'm kind of glad that I do. 

However, it hasn't excluded me from seeing what a mess it can be. Even while scrolling YouTube in search of new things to watch, I see things like "What women in their 50's should NEVER do with their hair/wardrobe/makeup, etc..." "These three behaviors mean you have (this condition, that condition, etc...)" Oh, not only do I do all of those wrong things, but I probably do have all of those conditions! According to these videos, I have ADD, ADHD, ABC, PBS, and I'm so very stubborn for not cutting my long hair because it has somehow been declared law that "all old ladies should have short hair." Well, not this lady. This face cannot carry short hair. And last time I check it was nunya. As in nunya business.

Are these really the things people are worried about these days? What shoes I'm still wearing from 4 years ago? How I wear my hair and if it's making me look older? Why do they care if I don't care? The last time I checked, you had to be diagnosed with conditions by licensed medical professionals, not by 9 minute videos. It's been an interesting waste of my time, since I know none of this really matters, but in a way, it shows me where we're still stuck in society. 

 It's not that there is anything wrong with having a preference for looking a certain way. What bugs me is that people are taking the time to make these videos telling people that there is something wrong with them because they don't fit a certain mold that is being created for them by someone we don't even know. If you don't watch them, it doesn't affect you, but the problem is, these videos are very popular. People seem to love to be told how to dress, how to look, what to buy, what to change, and most of all, they love to share their opinions on how others look! This last video was about how to cut your hair so your jowls and your aging neck aren't showing. Well, maybe I'll just grow a beard and cover that horrific area so no one has to be traumatized by my NATURAL aging process. Sue me. 

This brings me to other things we may want to actually change about ourselves. In my Bible study notebook, I have several pages of notes I take as I read. Many of them are highlighted, because they are things I want to remember and put into practice. These are things I may just be seeing for the first time and want to put into practical application. These are not easy changes to make. It's not a quick order for a pair of trendy shoes or a visit to the hairstylist for a shorter "do." These are amendments to my thinking, my behavior, and even my past actions that will improve the outlook of my life and will help me to grow into the person God is shaping me into. I don't always want to do what my notes tell me. It sounds a lot easier to follow the do's and don'ts for makeup tips over 50, believe me. But I know that what I truly need to make me beautiful are inside changes. 

These are what I want to get hung up on. If I'm going to lament about the aging process at all, it's going to be about remaining stuck in the things I'm still struggling with–control, unforgiveness, rejection, bitterness–you know, stuff that when left untreated can really affect your heart. And the things that hurt our hearts are the things that will eventually make us ugly on the outside. They truly do, because we can't keep them hidden for long. They come out of our mouths, our actions, and they affect all the people in our lives. Even strangers on the internet. A great haircut and a snazzy outfit can only hide so much. I don't want to still be going through these things as an 80 year old, if I'm still around. I want God to keep refining my character and throwing out the bad stuff that makes me stumble. 

My desire is to have the fullness of Christ driving that authenticity in me. I want my faith to be what makes me shine on the outside, and have that be what people see. I'm tired of blowing it with my emotions and the things I've messed up in my own plans. When I am full of God, it is a lot easier for me to just be me, and let others be others. Peace. 

When we know the things we stumble over, then we can make the changes necessary to overcome them with God's help. If I know I struggle with comparison or rejection, then I know to be immersed in my studies and not scrolling online just comparing myself to everyone I see. If we struggle with overeating, we don't go to an all you can eat buffet. We can learn how to prepare our INSIDES in advance so that we present ourselves outwardly in the most truthful and Christlike way–full of grace, full of kindness, and ready to share the best of who we are. 

That might not get the most likes, shares, or sponsors, but in real life, it will please God, and that's why we will have the strength to do it. His strength will prevail through all the ages of our lives.