It's What's Inside That Counts!

 

Our Guest blogger today is Susan Feaster.

Married to Al for almost 42 years; mom to Brian and Brandon; Nana to AJ and Christopher.

Loves her family, travel, good books, and good coffee.

Most of all, loves Jesus.

Can be found blogging about life and faith at www.susanssittingroom.blogspot.com

Thank you Susan!

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

I remember the day when my husband said to me "Did you know you have wrinkles?"

That is NOT a good conversation starter! We were in the car at the time, and my first response was to pull down the sun visor and flip open the mirror so I could see for myself. I was relieved to see that they weren't REAL wrinkles. He was talking about those little crinkles at the corners of my eyes......the ones that are there because I smile a lot. There are more of them than there used to be.......in part, I must admit, because I'm not as young as I used to be! But mostly because I'm still smiling! A lot!

In addition to my "crinkles", I have what I refer to as my "Howdy Doody lines".  (Some of you may not be old enough to have any idea who Howdy Doody is!  He was a puppet who had a TV show back in the 1950s.) Howdy Doody lines are the ones that go from the sides of my nose down to the corners of my mouth, and from the corners of my mouth downward. You may have them too. In my case, they are partly genetic. My mother had them. But, like the crinkles, they are mostly due to the fact that I smile, and laugh, a lot. A lot!

There is quite an industry devoted to getting rid of wrinkles. And, in the interest of full disclosure, I must tell you that I have contributed to that industry......both as a consumer who uses those anti-aging/anti-wrinkle products, and once-upon-a-time as an Independent Beauty Consultant selling lots of pink tubes full of anti-aging/anti-wrinkle products to other consumers. It's true that I don't get super excited when I notice a new wrinkle. I have often said that I don't mind getting older, but I really don't want to look old! And it is certainly true that, thanks in large part to the products in the pink tubes but also thanks to good genes, I don't look my age.

But the reason I bring all this up in the first place isn't really about wrinkles.....or the lack of.  It's more about the reason I have the wrinkles that I do have. All those cleansers and creams in the pink tubes can minimize or postpone the appearance of the wrinkles that come from aging. But my wrinkles......the crinkles and the Howdy Doody lines......are not so much from aging as from behavior. As I said before. I smile a lot. I laugh a lot. A lot. And there's a reason for that.  I choose to be happy.  I choose joy.

Yes, my life has its share of stresses. We can all say that, I'm sure. We live in a world full of stress.  And we live in a world where, like it or not, wrinkles are a big deal.  A world where, fairly or not, we are judged by outward appearance.  And that makes me incredibly sad.  Because it’s what’s on the inside that counts.  A joyful heart.  A thankful heart.  A committed heart.  A heart that loves Jesus!  That’s what really matters.

Not wrinkles or crinkles or Howdy Doody lines or hair color or skin color or size or shape.  Not the label in your jacket or what logo is on your purse. 

It’s what’s inside that counts.