STRIPPING ALL THE WAY DOWN!

As I write this, today is the day after Halloween, and I am busy picking up candy paper in the yard and on the sidewalk and putting away the Halloween decorations.  One of the things I noticed last night as I greeted all those Trick or Treaters was I am showing my age.  Some of the costumes I had NO idea who they were.  Many were taken from "Johnny Come Lately" movies, books, videos, and all the other new fangled forms of communication.  As they walked up the walk to my front porch, some I would have to ask, "Who are you?"  LONG gone are the days of my youth where ghosts, cowboys, and other homemade costumes were the norm.  It surely most be a sign of our economic growth to see all the varieties of costumes and the technology involved in many of them. During my youth, money was tight for most ---it was a treat to buy a "coke", and we never thought to ask for a "store bought" costume.  It was the simplest of times---it was the greatest of times.  Don't knock Mayberry unless you have lived there! Sheriff Andy was Marshall Miller (who could double for Santa) and the scenes from Sunday afternoons after church were played out all over town.  I DIGRESS!

As I put away my few Halloween decorations this morning, (NOT my favorite holiday) I thought of all the masks and jars of make up being put away today.  I laughingly call women's make up, War Paint.  I guess for those of you who still put on makeup everyday--that must mean you put your mask on before you step out to greet the world.  When we take off those masks and strip off the make up, we are down to the "Real Me".  Here is a fact for all you who are younger, as you get older---many of us forego most makeup and in fact stick to the bare minimum.  I do need to cover up this sun damage I allowed to happen, and my red nose -thanks to a family propensity to rosacea, but many days I am sans makeup.  Beginning with the pandemic, I began to realize my skin was happier without wearing that daily mask.

Why do we wear make up---the same reason we put on masks at Halloween---we do not want anyone to recognize the "Real Me".  We are in disguise---trying to put our best foot forward by covering our flaws and enhancing our strengths.  One of the things I have noticed---my family sees me a great deal without makeup---and they love me---not in spite of how I look, but because they see past the exterior.  They know the real me---and how deeply I love them all.  They accept me for who I am--without need for change.  They love me age spots, wrinkles, and sags--because those are all there, because I lived life to the fullest and hope I gave them an example to strive for.

SO---there will come the day when we stand before God.  The wonderful thing about that day is He will see us through the veil of Christ.  We will be covered by the beauty of His love and grace.  What could be more beautiful?  No need for masks---no need for being anyone but who we are---A Sinner Saved By Grace.  

"For we are His workmanship,

created in Christ Jesus for good works,

which God prepared beforehand,

that we should walk in them."

Ephesians 2:10