going gray

Psalm 71:17 

O God, you have taught me from my earliest childhood,
    and I constantly tell others about the wonderful things you do.
¹⁸ Now that I am old and gray,
    do not abandon me, O God.
Let me proclaim your power to this new generation,
    your mighty miracles to all who come after me.

¹⁹ Your righteousness, O God, reaches to the highest heavens.
    You have done such wonderful things.
    Who can compare with you, O God?

I am having a little bit of an identify crisis...over the past few years my hair has gone progressively more gray.  I don't see it as much when I look in the mirror as when I look at pictures.  But this past weekend we went to a reunion of some old friends and a few were clearly shocked at the change.  Someone else made a comment at church about how Shirley never seems to age while I continue to (humor was intended!).  So I had this vague memory about scriptural references to gray hair and decided to find comfort there.  It seems to me that gray hair can represent two things in a positive way: (1) a person has made it pretty far into this experience we call living and is still breathing and taking nourishment and (2) the gray hair may represent a measure of wisdom and experience with our Lord.  I am challenged with the Psalmist above to have one ambition: to proclaim the power and reality of God to a new generation...to those who are pre-gray!  Here are a few other encouraging verses: (perhaps gray is better thought of as silver)

Proverbs 16:31 

Gray hair is a crown of glory;
    it is gained by living a godly life.

Proverbs 20:29                                                                                                                                                       The glory of young men is their strength,                                                                                       And the splendor of old men is their gray head.