"I can help you over here, Ma'am."

I am feeling old these days.

It wasn't that long ago that I would hear

"Miss, can I help you?" when I was at Target or Home Depot.

But now, I never hear "Miss."

Instead I hear "Ma'am."

"Right over here, Ma'am."

"Ma'am, is this what you are looking for."

"Glad I could help you, Ma'am."

The word "ma'am" does not sit well with me.

It rings in my ears for minutes after it has been spoken.

It makes me feel old.

Then, I had an appointment to get my eyes checked.

The doctor dilated my eyes and I could not wear

my contacts or my glasses.

I had to go to a waiting area to pick up some new

contacts because my prescription has changed

quite a bit in the past 5 years.

(yes, I have not been to the eye clinic since BEFORE

Samuel was born! Yikes. Needless to say, the

opthamologist was not too pleased with that!

I tried to explain to him that I have been a little preoccupied

with my kids. His response, "Are they graduating yet?"

Ha!)

So, I was in the waiting area which was actually the same

place you choose new frames.

I thought I could look around a bit for some new frames for

my new prescription and I could not see anything!

That really made me feel old.

I mean, I know I need glasses or contacts but I used to be able to

distinguish some things without either.

Not anymore.

And while the older kids have been taking swimming lessons

I have been sitting with Joel on the tiled pool-side floor.

My body has ached each time I get up.

I finally found a mat to sit on in a different area and

was explaining to the other (READ: younger) moms that I was moving to the

mat from now on to sit and I said,

"I'm turning 35 this month and I am really feeling my age lately.

Sitting on this tile floor really hurts my body. I need to

sit on that mat."

They chuckled, I chuckled (nervously) and went to my mat.

Later, in the locker room, one of those moms said to me,

"You are 35? You don't look older than 28."

Another one said,

"My goal is to look like you after I have 3 kids and am 35."

These things have got me thinking quite a bit about aging.

2 Corinthians 4:16

Therefore we do not lose heart, but

though our outer man is decaying, yet

our inner man is being renewed day by day.

I confess, the comments referring to me as "ma'am"

have led me to "lose heart."

 My "outer man" is decaying.  

That is obvious.

And that is natural.

Yet, I praise God that my "inner man"

is being renewed day by day

through His Word invested in my life.

So, the next time you see me, feel free to call me "ma'am."

I am working on trying to get used to that

new greeting.