In today's American society, a younger looking appearance seems to be what most are seeking. Men and women alike put a lot of effort into their physical and wellbeing. Whether it's exercise to tone a figure or creams to tone a face, many of us today do what we can to look, and feel, younger. We dress a certain way and color and style our hair (and beards) in an attempt to stay fresh and modern.

About ten years ago, my dark brown hair began to spurt some gray, and like all things that grow, it became harder and harder to keep up with, what I considered, the bothersome grays. I tried coloring my hair in several different shades; blending and highlighting; and at one point even shed my brown completely and went light blond in an attempt to cover my quickly aging hair. Finally, about a year ago, I just decided to embrace my grays and let them grow out naturally. I have never been a trend-setter and am usually the last to catch on to a new fashion, so I was a little surprised one day when, while scrolling through a social media platform, I came across several posts of young, beautiful women who were on an "embrace your grays" journey. As I looked through these pictures, a single verse kept going through my mind.... "I am fearfully and wonderfully made!" (Ps. 139:14)

You see, what we fight so hard to change (or keep young) about ourselves, is the very thing that God created so carefully and so wonderfully. The Bible has much to say about the wisdom of age and the respect (and beauty) of a gray head. What caught my attention most in today's verse is that gray hair, called a "crown of splendor", is attained by being righteous! It can be a sign of someone who has lived an upright and righteous life. So from where I stand in the mirror, my grays can, and should, boast a wisdom acquired from spending time in God's Word and living righteously, in a way that is pleasing and honoring to the Lord, with no fear for tomorrow, or my aging, because God has given me the way to do it gracefully — or should I say full of grace, His Grace. Embrace the grays, and the experiences, both good and bad, the worries and stresses, and joys that bring forth a few more grays and a few more wrinkles and rejoice in the wonderful beauty that God has created in you!

Suggested Prayer: Dear God, I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.² Thank you for the promise that you will use me in any stage of my life. Let my life, and even my grays, always speak of You and Your righteousness. In Jesus' name, Amen.

1.    Proverbs 16:31 (NIV).

2.    Psalm 139:14.

Today's Encounter was written by: Veronica B.