BRITTLE BONES AND SAGGING SKIN

©CherieElainePhotography2020

You didn't expect a picture of me, did you? 

Toby Keith sang, "I ain't as good as I once was...."

That's sad!

However, some brilliant woman in her 80's caught a glimpse of herself in a window and said, "Once I was young and beautiful, but now I'm just beautiful." Gosh, I wish I knew her name! 

My grandmother, who is now 10 years in her Heavenly home, was a beautiful woman. Every year, she became more so to me. Wisdom, self-care, loving Jesus and being honest about who you are seem to age a person well. 

My Grandma.
©CherieElainePhotography2020

I am a great lover of trees. My sister has been known to call me a tree-hugger. She knows I am. My best friend since 8th grade has called me Tree for the entirety of our friendship. My great niece, Pea, calls me Aunt Tree. There you go. Trees. 

This is what I love about trees: 

They can grow out of rock. They can be damaged by sun, wind, rain, snow, and an axe, bleed sap from their bark, and it is golden and beautiful and useful to the world. They keep growing. Years of struggling through the elements of time and space, they keep growing. They provide homes, and musical instruments, and shade, and a place to play hide seek.

And then as their bark crinkles and cracks and their wounds are visible, they shed the need for tightly formed barriers, and the layers break away, and they let us see what's inside. They serve the world well, in beauty, in covering, in shelter, in oxygen. 

The grow old. And more beautiful. 

This past week I was camping following some of the most intense physically challenging periods of my entire life. Adrenaline can do much to keep you moving, and I was so excited to be outdoors 24 hours for three days that it didn't matter that I felt....well, awful.....it mattered that I was doing what I love best. Experiencing living among the trees and wildlife and fresh air, wind, sun, hail....

And the final day, I crashed. I crashed hard. I couldn't hike. Tearing down camp tore me down with it. While my camping friend and her dogs took their final hike of the day, I sat in the sun, rested, and opened my Bible. And these words fell on me quite by divine appointment: 

"When my skin sags and my bones get brittle, God is rock-firm and faithful...."

I didn't look for these words, they just fell open to me. It was like my moments present with the earth, God's beautiful creation, had made me welcome His ability to say, "I've got you." 

You know, life can be excruciating. But we have to find the joy in it. We have to live deeply spiritually, and deeply physically to really know what there is in us! 

Determination and empowering ourselves is so important, just as rest and authenticity and reflection are. 

I want to age well. I want to be proud of what my years look like and rise up beautiful. I am Tree. :-) 

I love you, my forest of people.