Wrinkles, Wisdom, and the Word: Finding Hope in the Aging Years

Nobody in my twenties warned me just how hard aging would actually be.

Ruth Fix

Fri, August 1, 2025 at 6:45 AM EDT

Sure, I had a head start. I was raised by what some might call “geriatric parents” (they were 47 and 45 when I was born). But even watching them slather on Ben Gay and drive below the speed limit didn’t convince me it would be this intense.

They’d joke, “Just wait until you’re our age.”

Welp… here I am, Mom and Dad.

Fifty-three. And yes—aches, pains, ointments, arthritis, groans as I rise from the couch or get out of the car.

The gray hairs creeping in every six weeks stir up internal tension: do I cough up $95 for another root touch-up, or battle with the $7 grocery store dye that leaves my flabby arms aching and my cranky neck protesting as I awkwardly try to apply it?

The Emotional Toll

Does anyone else struggle with waves of this sadness and being down in the dumps as the years pass? I can’t be the only one running this midlife marathon.

It’s hard waking up unsure which part of your body is going to call in sick that day.

And it’s jarring to glance down and wonder, “Whose hands are those? Where did all these wrinkles and veins come from?” Oh… they’re mine. Sigh.

I keep searching for a silver lining, but all I’m finding are silver strands scattered on my shower floor. And then there are the distinctly female features of aging… let’s just say, “put out to pasture” doesn’t sound so far-fetched anymore.

Wisdom with a Side of Whiplash

One upside? I've got a little more knowledge. Maybe even a little more wisdom.

Yet, somehow, with just one offhand comment, I’m a teenager again—hurt and insecure. I feel like a loser. I feel fat (because the weight won’t budge, thank you estrogen). I feel irritable. And then… I feel fine. Until the next wave hits.

One day, I’m all set to start my exercise plan. Again.

Next, I’m down with a migraine because I walked too far or lifted a box wrong. When the pain fades, I’m Googling who sells the cutest muumuus so I can just grab seven and call it a week. Uniform, solved.

Somebody hit the menoPAUSE button on this hormonal theme park.

I miss my 40s. Full of skinny jeans that were actually somewhat comfortable and chocolate gelato that counted as a food group that didn't put on the pounds.

When the Bible Meets the Mirror

Is there any hope that the “golden years” will actually feel golden?

Does platinum status kick in at 60? 70? 90?

Will I even make it there?

Only God knows. And He’s probably tired of this pity party I’ve turned into a blog post.

I know what I should do: open my Bible and find peace, joy, comfort, and truth.

What Scripture Says About All This

Turns out, God has plenty to say about aging.

I knew that, of course… though at my age, forgetfulness is a thing.

Here’s what truth says when my emotions are throwing tantrums:

The years of our life are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty; yet their span is but toil and trouble; they are soon gone, and we fly away. — Psalm 90:10

Whew. Toil and trouble, right? But wait...there's a prayer:

Do not cast me off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength is spent. — Psalm 71:9 So even to old age and gray hairs, God, do not forsake me, until I proclaim your might to another generation, your power to all who are to come. — Psalm 71:18

Shifting the Perspective

"Proclaim your might to another generation"...perhaps the Psalmist is onto something.

Maybe this season isn’t about focusing so much on my body’s betrayal. Maybe it’s a reminder of why I’m here. Not for my own glory, but His.

Our bodies will betray us. Youth will slip through our fingers.

But His legacy of faith and hope are eternal.

I need to shift the lens, take my laments to the Lord, and look up.

Still, I wrestle. My feelings don’t vanish on command.

So how do I stay anchored in truth?

The righteous flourish like the palm tree and grow like a cedar in Lebanon. They are planted in the house of the Lord; they flourish in the courts of our God. They still bear fruit in old age; they are ever full of sap and green… to declare that the Lord is upright; he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him — Psalm 92:12–15

Still Bearing Fruit

That passage brings me back to solid ground.

Stay planted. Stay in the Word. Stay in prayer.

Do that. Fruit still comes.

That feels far more useful than just limping along like a brittle pile of bones.

Then Paul chimes in with more encouragement:

So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. — 2 Corinthians 4:16

There it is. While I’m scrambling to maintain my outer appearance with every lotion and cream known to man, God’s renewing the part that actually matters.

Man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart. — 1 Samuel 16:7

Silver Linings and Splendor

Feeling a bit better now. Maybe even a touch wiser.

Maybe I won’t touch up those gray hairs just yet.

I might stretch it to eight weeks. Let them shimmer in all their splendor.

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What About You?

If you’re 50+, what’s your story?

Can you relate to the aches, the angst, and the spiritual awakening?

What are your survival tools? What verses hold you steady?

Let’s walk this season out together with laughter, honesty, and Scripture lighting the path.

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Originally published on Substack: Write in Texas

Used with permission. Lightly adapted for Insight Out Media.

About the Author

Ruth is a stay-at-home mom and self-dubbed Chaos Coordinator. She holds a BBA in Marketing, and her passion has always been writing in all forms. Except for the boring ones like algebraic word problems. During her career, she has written marketing content for publications like Harmon Homes® and TravelHost® magazines, articles for The Witness (a quarterly newsletter of Park Cities Presbyterian Church in Dallas, Texas), and résumés/cover letters for clients from a variety of backgrounds. Ruth’s favorite books include A.W. Tozer’s “Knowledge of the Holy” and “The Hiding Place” by Corrie Ten Boom. As a pre-teen, Ruth was enamored with the witty writings of famed author Erma Bombeck. Ruth’s desire is to use her God-given gifts to bring the hope of Jesus to others while spreading a little humor along the way.

Follow her on Substack: https://ruthiefix.substack.com/

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