Mask🎭

“Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.”~Hebrews 13:2

I’ve always been intrigued by this verse, always at the back of my mind when I meet strangers. And I’ve definitely had some encounters with strangers that I feel very sure have had wings under their sweatshirts, scrubs, suits. I’m definitely a believer in angels, their protection through God, and I definitely believe that I’ve encountered many in my life. Sweet.

In reading this verse I was also reminded that if we entertain angels unawares, how often do we entertain demons unawares? How often do we entertain the evilness of Satan not only through strangers but through people we encounter daily even? How often do we allow ourselves to be in the satanic realm by choosing to be with those we actually know nothing about but thinking we know everything? We may see the outside (looks, status) and we may see what we want to see (going back to my last blog) but do we really see the spirit and character of the person? And sometimes we are deceived by the “Mask” 🎭 people wear. 

 Realizing in life that there are so many we do life with that wear a “mask.” The word mask and thought of masks takes me back to those plastic Halloween mask we use to wear as kids on Halloween, you know the ones-the nose and eye holes never seemed to quiet line up right, making it impossible to see, or breath. And when you did breath it just became all wet and slimy inside. The elastic that was used to keep it in place always got tangled up in my hair, or popped me like a rubber band. As a kid-I’m not sure I really enjoyed being incognito, hidden of sorts, I felt the need to always lift the mask to reveal who I was. I was not known until I knocked on the door and said ‘trick or treat’ and the door opener wouldn’t recognize me at first but would look over my head and see my dad standing close behind and then I was exposed. As an adult, I still don’t like mask. We have a few the kids have enjoyed-a horse head, a Trump mask, maybe a John McCain. I’ve put them on a few times being goofy but can’t be goofy for too long because I start breathing my own breath, the eye holes, yet again, don’t line up with my eyes-obscuring my vision. Not being able to see and not being able to breath is not my fav. And can we talk about mask wearing during Covid? I did it out of fear, and because I was asked to, but i literally hated it. I hated mask when I use to assist in procedures at my job. Thinking my first panic attack happened because of a dang mask.  So the mask had to come off!

Realizing that “mask wearing” is a real thing in life. There are those that go through life not having an issue with wearing a “mask” all day everyday, never letting others see the real person. They may not have on the plastic mask of the past or even the softer newer mask of the present or the ones that keep the germs away, but the mask is definitely there. They go through life pretending to be someone else, never showing the authentic person they are. Proclaiming one thing but living another. I’ve never understood the ability of mask wearing, and the reason for it-other than maybe protection?! 

I’ve been told that I may just be the most transparent person -to a fault probably. I may have thrown one on every now and again to hide from God or the ven myself. But most times-if you know me you know me and Im going to let you know the good, the bad, the pretty and the ugly about myself, and sometimes it ain’t too good. Yikes. And I’m ok with that. I’d rather you know me and like me or dislike me for who I really am and not the mask I wear to hide or disguise myself. Im noticing that with age, my desire to be liked or approved by others is lessening  and that’s so freeing. I just want to be and try to be my authentic self!

Authenticity (the quality of being genuine or real) has become a rarity, and I believe it’s a quality that we should expect from one another. 

In my seasoned years I’m learning that  people’s mask will eventually fall off. The elastic that gets tangled in your hair is gonna pop, fray, the little holes that it’s threaded through is gonna tear and the mask will fall to the ground. The paper mask we wear for protection, don’t last a day. They get stinky and gross and have to be tossed. The goofy horse and trump  mask dry rot, rip and end up at Goodwill. Whatever the case-the mask eventually comes off and all is revealed. All the secrets that you’ve tried to hide, all the past transgressions are somehow revealed, sins are discovered. It’s one thing  to hide behind the so called “mask” for other people to not see you but it’s another to hide behind the “mask” to hide from God. There is no hiding from Him, so the mask is just a hindrance of sorts -of surrender. A verse that I’ve prayed more than several times in regards to this is … “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable.” ~Hebrews 4:13  When praying this I’m always comforted in knowing that God sees the heart, the actions, the truth -even if it’s well hidden behind a mask.  Comforting and also lil scary that He knows  me -even if I refuse to wear a mask. It never ceases to amaze me of all the mask being worn around me and how so many are drawn in to the seduction of the mask wearers. Is it because we just don’t want to see the real person, is it too much? Do we just settle for the hidden? One of my favorite sayings that I’ve used as a reminder to myself and others over the years is-“people’s actions speak louder than words.” What people actually do speaks way louder than the words they use. Sadly, social media has become the biggest mask of all…allowing people to post only what they want you to see, the good stuff, the fake stuff. It’s sad but satisfying sometimes for people to prove to you and others exactly who they are, what you knew all along. The “what you see is what you get” is not always true, but if you wait a little while you’ll eventually get to see the person behind the mask. May take a little while, but you will see the fruits or lack thereof. 

Sometimes I find myself discouraged with the fact that I’m probably entertaining a few demons myself-but I have a remedy on the ready. The remedy is asking God to reveal, to help me discern angels from demons, fake from authentic. Praying that…”just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions.” Matthew 7:20

For those that wear mask…what are you hiding, hiding from? The removal of your mask will set you free, freedom from eye holes that obstruct your vision and nose holes that suffocate you and allow others to love you -for you. There’s freedom in authenticity and surrender.

“You can’t keep your true self hidden forever; before long you’ll be exposed. You can’t hide behind a religious mask forever; sooner or later the mask will slip and your true face will be known. You can’t whisper one thing in private and preach the opposite in public; the day’s coming when those whispers will be repeated all over town.” Luke 13:2-3 🎭😷