Signs of Joy—Wrinkles to Prove It

This past week I took my daughter’s out for a girly day for the first time in a long time. We traveled to a bigger city and I could not help but feel like a stranger wandering in a foreign land. Even though I came from a hustling and busting town of my youth, I have lived in the middle of nowhere long enough for it to take residence of my heart. 

My girls are growing into young ladies and they have taken an interest in knitting.  The first place we stopped was Joanne’s Fabric store.  I think they spent 2 hours deciding what project they would do next, what yarn type was needed, and what color they thought would go best with the project.  It really is a wonderful thing to see your children have such a passion for something productive and creative.  Something that is their “own” interest.

When raising children in a pretty small community where they are home most of the time, you tend to make your kids like what you like.  I have no idea how to knit, but I was a parent that wanted my kids to explore as many areas of interest as possible—to branch out and be who they were created to be.  Although I realize I have influenced them in some ways by raising them on a farm most of their lives, they still found other things that interested them.  Things that make them unique from me, and I enjoy seeing all their beautiful creations.

I think God is like that. He is all creative and all powerful and could make us be just like Him, but instead He grants us free will to choose.  Giving us free will actually glorifies Him more, just like I enjoy seeing my children being creative and choosing right paths when they do.

We also stopped at a place that sold skin care products.  I had no idea then that our trip to the skin care store would inspire me to write a blog post.  We all had natural creams and oils rubbed over our faces and it was so relaxing. I mentioned to the associate that I am getting old and I have many wrinkles.  He most immediately responded,

“You have the most beautiful wrinkles—smiling wrinkles.  I see some that have no wrinkles and that tells me they are indifferent.  There are others that have, what I call, frowning or angry wrinkles.  I can always tell those people are bitter or depressed.  You have the best kind. You can always tell when someone smiles a lot and is joyful. I can tell you are a happy lady.”

I found that to be a good sign.  A sign of joy!  I am glad I choose joy and that the joy is permanently etched on my face.  Everyone ages and some have permanently etched frowns and scowls across their face.  Sometimes these same unhappy people will choose to cover the wrinkles up with makeup, or fill their wrinkles in with Botox.  Some people want to run away from the years that begin to show, but I am proud of the joy that is etched upon my face.

“Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel;

But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.”
1 Peter 3:3-4

“Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain:
but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised.”
Proverbs 31:30

Joy is evident by the lines on our face.  Aging is a part of life, a beautiful part of life when you live life for Christ.  Each wrinkle or gray hair is a gift, when you think about it.  It is one step closer to our heavenly home. Let’s keep our focus on what is eternal—what matters in life.  Our beauty is but a vapor, it fades as time goes by.  Our beauty should come from within our hearts.  The most beautiful thing to God is our joy, contentment, our reverence of Him, the way we treat others with love and kindness, how we honor our husbands, and in how we raise our children to choose all these wonderful things that produce joy and contentment in their lives.

Smile more, fuss less, and enjoy your journey right where God has you!

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5 thoughts on “Signs of Joy—Wrinkles to Prove It”

  1. A lovely article and very encouraging to us with wrinkles! In my youth a photographer said to me ” I hate taking photos of the perfect face, it’s so bland, give me one with wrinkles and a happy smile any day. It shows life experience and personality.”

  2. I love this! What a compliment, and one I hope to receive someday!
    It is so interesting what people see when they look at us, and what we speak to them without even “speaking”.

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