LINES (on Aging)

Thoughts on aging (since I'm coming to understand it REALLY well)

Spent some time with a woman the other day
I saw something so beautiful there
There were lines when she smiled that stayed when she stopped
from years of laughter and joy
There were lines on her lips from kissing her loved ones
& lines of concern between her brows

Now I know in this world they say lines are not good
They pay dearly to chase them away
But the lines on her face meant a lifetime of love
Oh those lines were so beautiful to me

Met an elderly man just the other day
whose wife & children I’ve known
They love him so much for he’s cared for them well
And enjoys them so much now they’re grown
Then I looked at his hands, his weathered old hands
and saw something so beautiful there
There were lines on his hands that showed he’d worked hard
There were scars where the tools of his trade left their mark
And a ring that had been there for 45 years
A gift from the bride of his youth

Now the world would dispose of a man who is older
With hands that no longer work well
But he’d sacrificed them serving those who he loved
Oh those lines were so beautiful to me.

Now I look in the mirror and strangely I see
That the very same thing is happening to me
There are lines on my face & lines on my hands
And a heart that loves deeper than I almost can stand
They are testimonies of a life lived for You Lord
Of loving your children & living Your Word
May the lines on my face be the signs of Your grace
May these lines be so beautiful to You