Age Defying

“Is not wisdom found among the aged? Does not long life bring understanding?” Job 12:12

“Age-Defying,” my daughter’s friend, Journey, read the label aloud as we stood next to each other, applying makeup in front of the bathroom mirror. My bottle of foundation made this marvelous claim. “So how’s that workin’ for ya, Mrs. Burma?” Journey continued in her teasing tone.

Not missing a beat, I stroked my cheek while replying, “Beautifully! Why, I look one year younger every day that I apply it. Right now, I’m at age 25. Can’t you tell?”

“Uh, Yeah…right. Sure,” she laughed, along with my 17-year-old daughter, who now stood in the doorway, rolling her eyes at my ridiculous response.

“Don’t deny it…Defy it!” The Revlon© commercial tells me. Okay, so maybe I don’t look 25 anymore… maybe I can’t completely defy my age with my magical makeup. But the claim sure sounds good, doesn’t it? A closer look at my bottle reveals the ingredient, “Botafirm™.” Impressive. Any product containing the word “firm” appeals to a woman over forty (I don’t deny it!) and sounds like it’s worth a try. I found out this mysterious ingredient is a “patented blend” shown to reduce the signs of aging. According to the same commercial, a whopping “95% of women say it visibly helped relax expression lines instantly.”  My amazing make-up also “instantly firms skin” AND “completely covers flaws.”

Most of my life, people have guessed me to be older than I am. And that was great, up until about age 25 when some thought I was in my upper 30’s. (You can imagine where the guessing has gone from there.) At age 36, a store clerk asked me if I would be using my senior discount (ouch).

We become so sensitive about our age, don’t we? Enough to purchase products that claim to help us defy it, because we long to be younger. I mean, who wants to look their age? (Or act it, for that matter!) So I got to thinking, why would I wish to be younger?

(1)   No fine lines. Ah, but a closer look at my “expression lines” reveals years of such skin-stretching exercises brought on by laughter and tears, concern and grief, sorrow and joy.

(2)   Fewer flaws. Wait a minute. Though my flaws have changed in form from acne to age spots, they’ve always been present. The last I checked, my character flaws, my failures, and my flub-ups were just as numerous in my youth as they are now in my more mature years. Oh, for a product that could completely cover these flaws.

(3)   Smaller signs of aging. Ah, but some of those signs are telltale marks of experience, of lessons learned, of understanding and wisdom gained, all by the grace of God.

In His infinite wisdom, our Creator formulated you and me each uniquely with His “patented” blend: our appearances and our abilities, our personalities and our passions, our circumstances and our circles of influence are unlike any other. Christ alone completely covers all our flaws with His perfect forgiveness, purchased for us on the cross and at the empty tomb. I may not always possess the firm skin of my youth, but even better is the Firm Foundation I’ve found in my Savior.

Another birthday looms in the not-too-distant future. As I smooth a little “age defying” makeup over my face, I’ll giggle a little! More importantly, I’ll praise God for another year of life, completely covered by His grace…and I’ll try to act my age – neither denying nor defying it. I’ll continue to pray for wisdom and understanding as I search His perfect Word.

"She Has Been With Jesus!"

In your daily conversations and interactions with the world around you (your family, your neighbors, your co-workers, and more), is it evident that you have been with Jesus? Can others see that you are a follower of Christ? That you long to Live on the EDGE for Him?

As promised, I am sharing another small portion of the Keynote Address I presented before the LWML National Convention, “Being with Jesus ~ Living on the EDGE”. I pray that God touches you with this message and moves you a bit closer to the EDGE.

In the earliest days of the church following Pentecost – as recorded in Acts chapters 3 & 4 - the apostles Peter and John healed a crippled man in the name and in the power of Jesus Christ. Crowds gathered in amazement and Peter began to teach them. As a result, he and John were seized and jailed overnight, then brought before the priests, rulers, & teachers of the law the next day for questioning.



Peter proclaims Christ before his accusers!

 With great authority and boldness, Peter proclaimed salvation in Christ alone, and his accusers were astonished. They recognized Peter and John to be ordinary, unschooled men, and realized that these men had been with Jesus! Peter cried out against the Jewish leaders who now threatened to silence him and all the apostles by forbidding them to speak the name of Jesus. Filled with the power of the Spirit, Peter cried, “For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.” (Acts 4:20 NKJV) This is the same Peter who had crumbled in fear on much earlier occasions, sinking amidst the wind and waves as he attempted to walk on water; denying Christ when confronted during His trial. Being with Jesus, Peter was changed. With the power of Christ now at work in him, Peter could not be silent, but boldly proclaimed salvation in Jesus’ name. Peter was prepared to give an answer before his critics and accusers, because he had been with Jesus.

The Holy Spirit later inspired the same Peter to write these words: “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have…” (1 Peter 3:15 NIV) The Lord gives us the desire to grow in His Word. He prepares us for every challenge and fills us with courage. Being with Jesus, we are changed, too! He fuels us with words, abilities, and energy that are clearly not of our own. An unbelieving and critical world around us can see that we have been with Jesus! We cannot keep Him to ourselves but shout His praises to the world! He is in our hearts and on our lips. Like Peter, we are prepared; like Peter, we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard!

Perhaps we will not be persecuted for proclaiming Jesus, as the apostles were, and as millions of Christians around the world are persecuted today. We may, however, be mocked or made fun of, insulted or accused, criticized or cast out. Jesus foretold that His followers would be hated and hurt…and yes, even persecuted. But when this harsh world sees you and me in our formerly timid tootsies, now boldly proclaiming the name of Christ Jesus, courageously LIVING ON THE EDGE because we, too, have been filled with the power of the Spirit, they will be astonished! Perhaps they will even exclaim like Peter’s accusers, “She has been with Jesus!”

The EDGE!

Are you living on The EDGE??  In late June, I was humbly blessed with the opportunity to give the Keynote Address for the LWML National Convention in Peoria, Illinois, with the theme, “Being with Jesus ~ Living on the EDGE”. Before nearly five thousand people (gulp!), I stepped onto stage in a floral sundress, a plastic frog floatie (yes, you read that correctly!), and bare feet. The convention crew accommodated my crazy request that a diving board grace the stage, as well.

In this post, and in a few that will follow, I share portions of this message with you. I pray the Lord will move you to the EDGE, as you live your life for Him! (By the way, I really am terrified of standing on the EDGE of a diving board…)

I stare at the diving board in front of me, determining that this time will be different. Yes, this time, I will finally face my fears, unfasten my feet from the ground where they stubbornly stand, and propel them forward, in my attempt to conquer my fear - my phobia - of that EDGE up there, once and for all. In your mind’s eye, you see it, too, don’t you?! That EDGE up there that dangles over the deepest depths of the pool. The wet, slippery EDGE that wobbles and wiggles underneath my timid tootsies when they inch slowly closer toward it. That’s the EDGE.

Though my phobia of that EDGE would have me prefer the feel of safe cement beneath my bare feet over the wild and wobbly, slick and slippery diving board, the EDGE somehow beckons me now to come toward it. Yes, this time will be different. Alright feet: MOVE! Propel forward, step up, shimmy out…a little further…further…that’s it. Oh...my. A wave of nausea is washing over me as I look down… Facing my fears – moving to the EDGE of this platform – was more difficult than a dive could ever be. (After all, I have some ability to swim, or at least bob on the surface, clad in my froggy floaty.) Yes, once I’ve actually jumped, it’s a done deal. But it is on the EDGE where fears overwhelm me and second-thoughts creep into my brain. Thoughts like, “What do you think you are doing out here on this wild-and-wobbly, slick-and-slippery EDGE? Get back, get back! It’s safer back there on solid cement. It’s not worth the risk. Someone is going to make fun of you, laugh in your face, or even push you off. Worse yet, you could slip and hit your head on that very EDGE as you fall.” But the EDGE is also where my adrenaline flows and where my pulse races; it is where courage is tested and fears are conquered. Yes, it’s a gutsy thing, moving toward the EDGE. Oh, wow! What if a scary place like this EDGE is where I have been called to live?

Guess what? Jesus has given me courage to live my life for Him. He has moved me to a life on the EDGE! Being with Jesus ~ Living on the EDGE! Not on the edge of a diving board, mind you, on the EDGE of so much more! Just as the first disciples had been with Jesus, I have been with Jesus, and so have you!

As we remember our baptism, when God claimed us as His own dear daughters in Christ, forgiving our sins through Jesus’ atoning work on the cross, and filling us with His faith-giving Spirit, we have been with Jesus, and WE ARE CHANGED! Forgiven! Made new! As we live continually in His presence, through the power and the work of the Holy Spirit, who persistently nudges us to walk in the Word – to live a life with the Word Made Flesh – with Jesus! Being with Jesus, WE ARE CHANGED! As we walk beside Him and learn from Him. As He opens our eyes to see how He is at work and where He is at work, drawing people to Himself today. Our once-timid tootsies become bold and courageous. Our feet are unfastened; the Holy Spirit propels us forward, enabling and empowering us to live life on the EDGE with Jesus!

Maybe you are thinking, "Yes! I want to live on the EDGE! But who am I to get out there?! To balance my clumsy self without falling off or tripping up? I can barely stand up straight on solid cement, where everything is safe and predictable and certain. I’m supposed to take a risk and go out there on the EDGE? I could get hurt; others could laugh in my face.”

Jesus says to us, “Follow me…” He leads us to the EDGE, where we would dare not tread alone! But we need not fear because Jesus is there already, extending His hand. He provides balance, and He will make us stand up straight.

To live courageously on the EDGE is to live securely in the center of God’s will, centered on the solid foundation of Christ. Not to be confused with the seemingly safe cement foundation behind us. The EDGE may feel wild and wobbly at times; it will be slick and slippery at others. Living securely in the center of God’s will is at the same time, the edgiest - the scariest - place we can live because living on the EDGE may mean stepping out of everything that is comfortable, convenient, or common to us. Maybe even out of everything familiar and safe, as we are called by God to be missionaries in His service.

Yes, being with Jesus moves us to the EDGE… Are you on the edge of your seat, with baited breath, in anticipation of what He has in store for you? May our hearts burn within us with the fire of the Holy Spirit, that we leap toward the EDGE with the love of Christ to a world that needs to hear His saving message, confident that He is right there beside us!