30 And Still Counting

By, Philip Budaye Philipyoung

There you are, all dressed in your beautifully sown coat of many colors made from a finely carded blend of wool and silk. In the ambiance and fragrance of your smart collections you sat before the mirror to add the finishing touch to your already established natural beauty.

Seated before you were you, but sadly you didn’t see you. You picked your lip gloss to add gloss to your lips, with your lips already pouted ready to receive with gladness what the lip gloss had to offer.

Midway to your lips, your hand froze as your mind was greeted by an unwelcome guest that always has a way of getting in no matter how many times you change the lock – your thoughts. You sat still like an ardent listener “obviously lost in thought” as the conversation ensured.  Your guest seems to be doing all the questioning and talking. You’re obviously no match for him in a debate, he knows you too well.

Why you? He asked as he brought to your vivid remembrance the thoughts and memories of all those that betrayed your love by their words and actions. These actually gave way as he amplified the sounds of your ticking biological clock- tick tack tick tack… which also gave way the gruesome feeling of “you’re no longer in your prime- you’re getting old without a promising God fearing significant other.”

Oh, how you had it all figured out that by 25 you should have been married and by 31 you should have been done giving birth to kids that would carry in them genes of your rare beauty -no doubt posterity will truly be glad to have a touch of your beauty for a thousand generation to come.

So, you gazed at the mirror and all you saw was the image painted by “your thought” -you didn’t see you.

However, contrary to “your thought,” the image captured by your mirror is that of a beautiful young lady who deserves more than what the world had to offer. A lady whose ticking biological clock is ticking to the APPOINTED TIME. The image of a lady who knows what she wants and is sensitive enough to know what only looks like but is not it. An image of a lady full of strengths and more amazing qualities than you could ever imagine.

As you are in the days of your youth where;

Ears that heard you blessed you

Eyes that saw you approved you

Hearts that saw you welcomed and accommodated you.

So shall you be in old age with your offspring round your table gleaning from the Inexhaustible wisdom that has walked you through time.

You’re not old my dear.

For the record;

Your bones are full of youthful vigor.

Your marrow is moist.

The strength of your youth is upon your tabernacle.

The Hebrew women of old recognize you

as one of them because your strength precedes you.

At the set time you’ll bare like they bore- stressless.

The glow and tone that exudes your brown tender skin

will not diminish even when it wrinkles

and the dark shining hair turns gray.

I rode on horseback from the ancient era when the likes of king James spoke English to time where queens English is spoken and horses are used for sports only to tell you my dear friend - you’re not old.

The lines will fall for you in pleasant places- trust God. I hope my voice reaches your spirit. And as Job will say to his friends in 16:5 –I would strengthen you with my mouth, and the comfort of my lips will relieve your grief. So will I do to you, my friend!

You’re not old my dear friend!!!