“…you are all children of the Most High.”

(Psalms 82:6b NLT)

I stopped to take a peek at my 55 year old face before shaving this morning. The wrinkles around my eyes and on my forehead were deeper than ever. My face’s baby fat had fled long ago. My thin skin was speckled with age spots. The black hairs on my balding head had mostly been replaced with gray ones. There was some white whiskers on my chin too. All in all I was looking older than ever. Still, when I smiled my wrinkles crinkled and I liked how they looked.

I have often said that there is a young person trapped in every old person’s body. But this isn’t entirely true. The truth is there are many people inside there. Part of me is still that little boy who longs to sit on his Nana’s lap or to run into his Mommy’s arms. Part of me is still that struggling adolescent fighting through his hormones and trying to figure out life at the same time. Part of me is that young adult working so hard to get ahead but often falling further behind in life’s rat race. Part of me is a middle aged man with more peace, love, and joy than he had in his younger years. Part of me is even a wise old man striving to share what he has learned about life and love with everyone willing to listen. The truth is all of these people live inside of me and help make me who I am. Yet, I know that I am much more than just them.

Who are we? We are more than these aging bodies that carry our souls around. We are more than the hormones that rage through us. We are more than the years we have lived. We are more than the things we have learned. We are more than our thoughts and feelings. We are MORE!

Who are we? We are beloved Children of God. We are eternal souls in temporary bodies. We are beings of light. We are spirits of joy. And we are only here for a short time. Let’s use it all living, learning, and loving. Let’s use it all growing closer to God. Let’s use it all deepening our wrinkles by sharing a million smiles.

Joseph J. Mazzella