The lines on my face tell a story. These lines are honest about who I am and how I’ve lived. They don’t lie and they don’t flatter—they just are. They tell the truth, and that’s a rare thing these days. So come linger with me awhile as I share this diary of a life well-lived.

Those crinkles at the corner of my eyes? Ah, yes. Those are from squinting at more beautiful, breath-taking sunsets than I can count. Oh—and from laughing at too many silly jokes. (Is there such a thing as too many? Not in my world.)

The faint creases across my forehead? Those are from worrying about people I dearly love. From restless prayers in the middle of the night. Or fretting in silence when it seems they’ve put me on hold (how long is too long?) debating with myself whether it’s too soon to call.

Oh, I see you’ve noticed the lines around my mouth, carved by years of smiling and kissing (probably too hard but never too often).  And yes, even a few from sipping iced tea through a straw (the plastic ones, mind you, before they were declared enemies of the environment).

Do I love all these lines? Let’s not get crazy. They aren’t exactly my favorite feature. If a magic cream truly existed that could erase them without making me look like a wax figure from Madame Tussaud’s exhibit, would I use it? You bet!

Well…maybe. But if the price for a wrinkle-free face must be paid in erasing this full, messy, chaotic, joyful life that made them? No deal. These lines mean that I’ve lived.

 

True story.

My life has been more wildflower meadow than a sophisticated runway.

I’ve laughed until I couldn’t catch my breath. Cried eye-swelling tears when my heart has been split wide-open. Stayed too long in the sun because it was just too beautiful to pull myself away from the warmth of this adventure path the Lord has set me on.

Life has been a rollercoaster and my face is the souvenir photo. These lines mean I didn’t just exist—I showed up. So please, don’t photoshop me or slap on an Instagram filter that turns me into an airbrushed mannequin. I’ve lived a real, flawed, and deeply human life.

A little touch-up is fine (let’s not pretend I’m above vanity) but let’s not erase these lines.

I’d like to keep them, thank you very much.

Proverbs 31:25 says it best. “She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.”  Some versions say smile but I’m a laugher. These lines show I’ve already had more than my share of joy, and I’m not done yet!