Grey Hair is a Crown of Splendour

Grey hair is a crown of splendour. It is attained by a righteous life Proverbs 16:31 NIV

An extract from my wife Daphne’s booklet titled “Inspirations’

In Romans 1:19-20 it tells us that God has revealed His divine nature and personal qualities to us. Creation is one way He shows us a God of might, intelligence and intricate detail. A God of order and beauty. Where we live there are no street lights and recently to help a neighbour, who had had an operation, we offered to fill up the water troughs where he grazes his cattle.in the orchard opposite. As contractors were felling large pine trees, we needed to do this early morning before they arrived…like 5.30-6am. It was pitch black but thankfully clear mornings. Once where we needed to be we turned off our head torches and looked up at the stars. It was magnificent to say the least and if the ground had been dry, I could have laid down, listening to the early morning bird calls, (Native Owls, Tui, Pukeko, and even some Ozzie imports like Kookaburra’s &, Sulfur Crested Cockatoos,) and starring up at the heavens in awe of Gods created beauty, majesty and power until the sun came up If we look and listen to those things around us, and ask God to speak to us through what we see and experience, He will often give us insight, encouragement and revelation. We encourage you to be open, alert and aware of the simple everyday occurrences that we often fail to notice or take for granted. The autumn season is now upon us again and for some of us older ones it is often said we are in our ‘Autumn’ years, but that’s ok because we know that for every believer there is a Heavenly ‘SPRING’ ahead. A Spring season of new life that will last us forever in the presence of our Lord and Saviour. Some years back Daphne went through a season of seeing things in nature that to us had a spiritual meaning and she recorded these interludes in a booklet called ‘Inspirations’. Some were personal while some encouraged others. Here is one for us ‘more mature’ in years

- - - - - - - - - It was early in the month of June on a brisk Autumn morning. While walking through the orchard opposite our home, I found a very large Poplar tree leaf on the ground. It was an Autumn leaf, brilliantly gold in colour, with varying sizes of brown spots marring its perfection. A large brown area at the base continued to its stem. The leaf had just fallen but it was still pliable. The Lord showed me that my life is like that leaf. It has seen many storms, weathered many blows and although it is nearing its Autumn stage and is no longer flushed with the vibrancy of youth, a bit wrinkled with some brown age spots, it is still reasonably pliable. There are probably still areas in my life that need to be handed over to the Lord.... ...brown spots that need the Lord’s attention, but He can still use me if I am willing. We are never too old... we need never be discarded, we are in His service till He takes us Home. Right in the centre of this brilliant Autumn leaf was a small red area about 2cm long...right on the main stem of the leaf. This spoke to me of God’s presence in my life. His blood is the main stem...His love and direction in our life.

He needs to be our lifeline, our direction. Age is no barrier to God.... He sees us from the inside. To Him, we are a golden leaf; full of potential in Him..... .... even in our Autumn years. Just remember Isaiah 43:4. Because you are precious in my (God’s) sight, you are honoured and I love you.

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Here are a couple of songs that will, we trust, encourage you as you walk through this life holding Jesus hand. Google/YouTube/ (1) I’d Rather Have Jesus / Great is thy Faithfulness Medley Live at Cornerstone Church and (2) Jeff and Sheri Easter, Ben Speers/Jesus hold my hand. Clap your hands, tap along with your feet, get that circulation pumping again, and enjoy Gordon Mote, the talented blind key board player, and hold tight to Jesus hand as you continue to walk through this life with Him.

Be Blessed and encouraged Malcolm and Daphne