This is the day.
Aging is a funny thing: On the outside, I can see wrinkles, sun damage, hair thinning, and sagging muscle tone. On the inside, I know that my journey has just begun. I’m still a child. There is much to learn.
I remember when I first heard the admonishment to “live each day as if it were your last.” I was young, healthy, and bound to succeed. The idea sounded like a good idea, but it just didn’t seem to be a reachable possibility to me. Who could do that, seeing that life is so long? Now that I’ve traveled a few years on down the road, though, that quote has come back to me. I like it more. It doesn’t seem untenable. “This is the day which the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 118:24, NAS).
My wife noticed a funny skin lesion on the back of my neck the other day. Using two mirrors to look, I saw an irregular border and colors from pink to brown. The spot was about the size of a finger tip. It could have been the poster picture for an article on recognizing skin cancer. Surely, not me…
The doctor took it off and sent it to the lab: Pre-cancerous sun damage. Another reminder that living each day to the fullest is not a bad idea at all. This is the day that we have. This is the day that I can hug my child, speak a word of encouragement to my wife, or help a neighbor with a chore. This day; this wonderful day.
The nurse who bandaged the incision told me that she found a way to curtail sun and age damage. Her advice is a product called Ethocyn, produced by Chantal Pharmaceuticals. “It’s not just for women,” she instructed, “the idea is to restore elasticity.”
At one time, I would have considered concern about skin appearance to be a mark of vanity. Now, I know better. Healthy skin is a good thing. There is absolutely nothing wrong with taking care of oneself. Actually, the opposite is the case: There is much wrong with abusing these amazing temples that God has designed and provided. We truly are wonderfully made.
The Chantal Pharmaceuticals site says that their line of skin care products work “to restore the elasticity in your skin to that of a 20-year old.” I’m not interesting in being 20 again, but I sure don’t mind looking and feeling as young as possible. Healthy bodies fuel happy hearts. That’s just the way of things.
Can I rejoice, no matter the circumstance? Yes. The bottom line for me is that the Father has entrusted many things to me. My body is a tremendous gift and tool. It’s time that I get serious about taking care of it.
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