Masquerade

Recently while attending a client event party at a conference, the sponsor distributed feathered masks to the participants.  The Mardi Gras style masks made me and others around me almost unrecognizable.  In our everyday lives we don't walk around with sequined feathered masks, but we do often wear masks to cover up the 'real' us-to hide what we are feeling.

We go around so afraid of being rejected, made fun of or thought of in a negative light that the mask is our means of protection.  We want to disguise ourselves so that the world will like us.  We want to paint the picture that we choose to let the world see.

Several years ago I came across a poem by Lee Ezell which spoke truth of me.  I want to share it with you.  See if you see yourself in the words penned here.

The Paint Brush

I keep my Paint Brush with me,

wherever I may go, in case I need to cover up,

so the Real Me doesn't show.

I'm so afraid to show you Me, afraid of what you'll do;

you might laugh, or say mean things;

I'm afraid I might Lose you.

I'd like to remove all my Paint coats,  to show you the real, true Me.

But I want you to try and understand: I need you to Like what you see.

So, if you'll be patient and close you eyes,

I'll strip off my coats real slow;

Please understand how much it hurts, to let the Real Me show.

Now my coats are all stripped off. 

I feel naked, bare and cold.

If you still love me, with all that you see,

you are my friend, pure as gold.

I need to save my Paint Brush though, and hold it in my hand;

I want to keep it handy in case somebody doesn't understand.

So please protect me, my dear friend, and thanks for loving me True.

But, please let me Keep My Paint Brush with me,

until I love Me too!

I am well aware of what it is like to wear a mask.  I have worn many over the course of my lifetime, hoping to hide my hurts, inadequacies, failures and fears. Many of us walk around 365 days a year wear masks.  Others have worn mask upon mask until there are many layers hiding the 'real' us. 

We put a fake smile on our face and act like nothing is wrong with us-we don't want someone to see that this is something not right in our life.  We put on a "Happy" mask or an "I've Got It All Together" mask.  We wear the "I Want to Fit In" mask by adopting the face of those we want to be like.  Maybe we don't want people to see our loneliness or hurt so we wear the "I Don't Need Anyone" mask.  Perhaps, it is the "I Am Very Spiritual" mask that hides the ongoing sin in our lives. Or is it the "I Am Overyly Confident" mask to hide our insecurities.  These are just a few.  Are you wearing a mask?  What is your mask's name?

The problem is that what is on the inside and what is on the outside fail to match up.  God desires for us to be authentic.  The masks we wear not only keep us from being authentic with others, but can keep us from being real with God too.  Certainly the God that formed us ( Ps 139:13) and knows every hair on our head ( Matt 10:30)  looks at our heart(1 Sam 16:7)  and sees us just the way we are, but we can still try to conceal what is going on in our lives by putting on a mask even with Him. 

We need to ask God to show us what mask we are wearing? Why are we wearing it? We need to ask Him to deal with the reason we are wearing the mask.   Then we need to ask Him to put someone in our life, with whom we can be 'real'-someone who loves and accepts us just the way you are.  We also need to realize that what we are trying to cover up-may be just what someone else needs to know or see to help them on their journey, with their struggles.

God sees our fears, our pain, our disappointments and our insecurities.  He knows us and loves us just the way that we are--BUT Praise His Name, He loves us enough not to leave us that way!!