Blessed to be Broken

Earlier this week a group of friends and myself went out to lunch. Or is that myself and a group of friends? Either way, we caravanned to a state college where young whipper snappers prepared, and served us lunch.

Now before you get all tangled up in the phrase “whipper snappers” hear me out. I have a point or five.

I’ve been called a lot of things in my life. But, I don’t ever recall being referred to as an “old lady.”

I think me and my friends were amusedly shocked. If they weren’t, I know I was.

On one hand, I can remember being the young whipper snapper calling someone old. Truth be told, I didn’t know any better because I thought I already knew it all.

I was so sure back in the day I never wanted to be an “old lady.” Like I think I said I wanted to be dead by the age of 60, because who wanted to be “old”? Thank God, He had a different plan.

I can hear Jamie Lee Curtis from Freaky Friday, who found herself switched with her daughter’s body and vice versa, dramatically saying “I’m old. Ohhhhh, I’m like the crypt keeper.”

Summed up, the plot of Freaky Friday, is for mother and daughter to learn what it’s like to have a newfound respect and understanding of one another.

However, before they can reach that point of understanding and respect, they have to live out a day in the life of each other. No easy feat.

Obviously, we don’t have that kind of authority to be able to switch bodies. But, I loved the plot behind the movie. Mutual respect and understanding.

To see one another as more than just their appearance is not what we’re taught. The world teaches us that how we look on the outside is absolutely everything. How shallow. So, so, very shallow.

I am so much more than my appearance.

I am so much more than an “old lady”.

I’m a daughter, sister, ex-wife, momma, maw=grandma, friend, teacher, writer, veteran, and well, you get the point.

Young whipper snapper, I’m you, times one thousand on steroids wearing a Wonder Woman suit, and pew pewing the world’s labels back out into the universe with my bracelets of submission.

I may not look like you on the outside these days, but the experiences and wisdom that come along with the years of actual living, is something you won’t have until, well, you too are an old person. Gotta love irony.

See, when we lump people in a group and assign them a category, we miss out on getting to know the true person. We’ve already written them off as this or that and not worthy of our attention.

I know because I’m totally guilty of doing the same thing.

It’s truly a daily submission to God to allow Him to open my eyes to the prejudices the world has taught me.

I then took those prejudices and unbelief’s and hugged like a security blanket. I even pushed them on others. I found others who believed what I believed and discounted anyone who thought differently.

Sound familiar?

Young whipper snappers and old people are nothing new. It’s just the whipper snapper I once was, has grown into the “old lady” I never thought I wanted to be.

Embracing what I never wanted to be comes with humbled grace, and a beautiful awareness that every day is a gift.

I had a different idea for how things would play out. My plans have most assuredly not lined up with God’s plans for my life.

How about yours?

Learning to embrace what God has for me and dismantling unbelief’s and labels is hard.

But God never said it would be easy, did He? No. He said, He would be with me through it all. Thank you, Jesus.

That includes my whipper snapper phase and my current “old lady” phase, and the phase yet to be written.

So, to all the young whipper snappers out there, remember, no old lady is just an old lady. They’re a person with a lifetime of experience under their belt and achievements you can only hope to attain or surpass.

You’re “walking” on paths previously carved out for you with our blood, sweat, and tears.

And to all the old ladies out there, those young whipper snappers may not know it, but they still need to hear those life experiences.

We have wisdom to share. We are teachers, mentors, and fire carriers. We’re a great reminder of what “coming this far” looks like.

We’re all valuable. We all have a purpose no matter what phase of life we’re currently experiencing. As long as we’re living and breathing, we matter, and we will keep on keeping on till we’re called home!

Have a magnificent day!