Middle Age...or is it?

So I woke up this past Sunday morning, two days before my 40th birthday, looked in the mirror and saw a really long gray hair sticking straight up on top of my head. Well, it wasn't exactly straight but it was noticeably standing up, shimmering and waving at me screaming, "Welcome to middle age!"  Gray hairs are no big surprise to me. I've been seeing them pop up on my head for a few years now but this one seemed so significant for some reason and it led me to look at my skin next. Those darn flourescent daylight bulbs!!
I've always heard about collagen and how important it is for women's skin. Are you ready for a mini biology and chemistry lesson?  Collagen is a fibrous protein that supports and connects bodily tissue like bones and muscles and basically keeps your body from falling apart. In the case of your skin, collagen works with elastin and gives your skin its firmness, flexibilty and that youthful appearance.  As you age, the collagen in your skin breaks down which means you lose that elasticity and tightness, leading to wrinkles.  There goes that youthful appearance!  Did I EVER take this seriously? Not for a moment...until now. It's true! All of those years of listening to my Mary Kay mom tell me about my skin and collagen and I never took it seriously?!  Now a days there are so many skin products and treatments we can use to stimulate collagen production and fill in those lines and wrinkles. Before you know it, a nip here and a tuck there. I'll get back to this in a bit but let's get back to my gray hair...
So here I am, looking at my skin and my gray hair in the mirror while I was supposed to be getting ready for church.  And in case you're wondering, I arrived to church early which means I did not spend an enormous amount of time analyzing. ;)  But while I was staring into the mirror, I was thinking about when my dad turned 40.  I was 14 years old yet it seems just like yesterday. I remember thinking how crazy it was that MY dad was 40 years old!  It would be forever until I turned 40!  Well, forever is now and I am officially middle aged....or am I?
In the mid 90s, the pastor at the church I was attending was giving a message on a particular Sunday that really struck me. It was what he said about middle age and the relativity of it all. Not too long before that particular Sunday, he was diagnosed with terminal cancer. He talked about being middle aged and how he never would have guessed that his middle age was at age 21.  He had a verse that he clung to during his journey.  Nahum 1:7 "The LORD is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him,".  Rich knew Who was good. He knew Who to turn to in times of trouble. He knew Who cared for him. He trusted the Lord with his circumstances, with his life.  It did not matter if he was 21, 42, or 102. Rich knew the Lord would take care of him because he trusted Him. And the Lord did care for Rich until his very last breath on earth. The LORD is good.
So as I look at my life now, I realize my focus should not be on the condition of my hair or my skin or what potions, creams, and treatments I need to regain my youthful appearance, but rather on the condition of my heart. The only nipping and tucking I need comes from the Lord who is shaping and molding me to be more like Him.  Like that gray hair standing tall on the top of my head shimmering, waving and screaming at me, I want my life to be that shimmer, that shine that screams the goodness of Christ.
I have no way of knowing if I am middle aged now or if my middle age occurred 5, 10, or 15 years ago. But I am confident in the fact that no matter how many years the Lord blesses me with here, no matter if I have wrinkles or go completely gray, He is good.  He is my refuge in times of trouble and He cares for me because I trust in Him.
So what do you see when you look in the mirror? What's that significant something that catches your attention?