WHAT LIES BENEATH

In our culture, millions of dollars are spent each year on creams and potions to eradicate the appearance of aging. Millions more are spent on plastic surgery to do the same....lifting up what has fallen, tightening what has become loose over the years. Still millions more are spent to hide the grey hairs on our head or to replace the hair that has fallen out.

Yet all these are only the visible aspects, what others can see on the outside. I can't help but wonder what is going on beneath that outer layer. In fact, I know that on any given day we can be in a crowd of people and somewhere in that crowd will be at least one person who is carrying cancer within their body ,probably another will have a heart that is not functioning properly, still others are walking around with clogged arteries. Yet to look at them, they look fine, no clue of what is going on beneath the surface.

Sometimes when I get out of bed in the morning and everything hurts, I wish I could SEE what is going on beneath my skin, why things are not running as smoothly as I'd like, why I'm getting slower and slower.

We know that from the time we are born, our bodies begin to die. We don't generally give that much thought til we get past 50 or 60, then as we begin to feel the effects of aging, we realize the truth of it. No matter how hard we try to avoid it or cover it up, our bodies ARE decaying and wearing out.

Some say we should "grow old gracefully". Others say "you're as young as you feel". I say "BOLOGNA!" to all of that. Growing old is NOT fun and there is nothing graceful about it. But... if there is anything good about growing older it is that it causes you realize how precious each day is. Little things that you overlooked when you were younger suddenly become so special. You take fewer things for granted and hold on to what really matters in life.

And, Heaven becomes sweeter as you realize that there you will have a body that is perfect. Whatever defects or flaws you had on earth will be erased in Heaven. There will be no pain, no disease, no heartache, no sorrow, no disappointment, no loneliness, no anger, no fear. We will dance on streets of gold, sing with the angels and best of all we will sit at our Savior's feet and bask in his love. There will be no more dying and no more aging because we will liver forever and ever and ever!! Hard to imagine, isn't it!!?

So, although I don't want to look my age (or FEEL it) and although I have no idea what truly lies beneath this outer covering, I can rest in the knowledge that in my heart I know that one day I will have a new body and a new home and I will rejoice for all eternity with the One who died to set me free from this body of death. Til then, I will praise Him for I am "fearfully and wonderfully made".