Humboldt wild grapes

While working with my ladies today, the Lord gave me the greatest illustration of aging. If we look at a bunch of grapes we will see that there are many grapes in one grouping, but all in various stages of ripeness. The younger grapes are green and hard and have not come into their full maturity yet. This would represent young people in their first 20 yrs. Then you have the ripening grapes that in themselves have various levels of ripeness. Some are partially green while turning their more ripe color of purple at the same time. This would be those people who are in their 30's. Then there are others at their peak of ripeness. Their color is just the right shade of purple, their texture is just the right amount of firmness, and their flavor is the absolute sweetest it could possibly be. These might represent people in their early 40's. But, wait...these grapes are only so sweet for a couple of days, then their flavor begins to wane somewhat. Just like in our late 40's...we ask ourselves, "where did these wrinkles come from? Or, I don't remember my skin being so dry or my hair being so thin". We would call this midlife. As color in the grapes begins to deepen, the flavor begins to deepen as well and the grapes are only useful for eating fresh for a couple more days. Which brings us to the downward slide of midlife, our 50's. We are still in our prime but not for very long. Then eventually, the grapes will transform from grapes to raisins. We can still eat them because they are now "dried fruit" which is still something that we can use. So now we are looking at our 60's. Wrinkled, but with enough life to contribute. As we march on into our 70's we are like the raisins that are still edible, but now just not quite as satisfying as before. Like the ones that we leave in the container too long in the cupboard. And lastly, there are always a few fruits on the vine that have completely ripened already and they are no longer able to be used for any kind of consumption. They are shriveled and dry and discarded with the stems. I guess this would be us in our 80's and 90's. Most of us don't make it any further than this.
Morbid, I know. Even depressing. We don't like to ponder our frailty, our temporary state of being. I am sorry to be so contemplative, but I have been so confronted with it lately that I am completely overwhelmed with it. One of my little ladies took a turn for the worse today. Norma has had that upper respiratory virus that is going around and it is getting the best of her. Pray for her. And bear good fruit while you can.....