I love that the Bible mentions gray hair. 

As I’ve gotten closer and closer to my forties, I see more and more gray hairs throughout my dark brown hair; they used to be “scattered” but are now more “clustered’ or “bunched.” My knees also creak a bit, and I just recently invested in some compression socks. Can anyone relate?

You might be older than I am, or perhaps you deal with more serious physical issues, not simply inconvenient or “cosmetic” ones like the few I mentioned above. Cross-cultural living can exacerbate those issue, either because of the added stress of life, the inability to access consistent medical care, or simply the complicated nature of talking to doctors in a different language!

Whether you are younger or middle-aged, perfectly healthy or physically struggling, excited about your current season of life or not, you can join with the psalmist in declaring God’s faithfulness to those around you. As we age, Scripture teaches that we are to invest in those “to come,” those younger than we are, either in years or in the faith. For some of us, that starts with our own children. For others, it might be the children of those in our church communities. But all of us have people in our circles, both Christians and unbelievers, to whom we can proclaim God’s mighty acts in history and in our own lives. 

The advertisements that bombard us value preserving youth at all costs, implying that “getting older” is a bad thing. Don’t get me wrong – I’m not saying that we shouldn’t take care of ourselves or do what we can to “age well.” But pursuing unending youthfulness, avoiding the reality of the passing years and living in denial, can lead to some unhealthy life choices and promote an unbiblical way of looking at life. The years God adds to our lives provide experiences of His faithfulness that we can then share with others. Those experiences might come with pain, loss, discomfort, or just gray hair, but they offer platforms on which we can stand and declare our weakness and His strength to the next generation.