Masks. We all wear them. We wear them to cover up blemishes, brokenness, shame, guilt, etc. We wear them throughout the week and if you go to church, especially on Sundays. You know the look, “I’ve got this all together and am quite successfully managing all of the various emotional, spiritual, social, and relational balls that are currently in the air all around me at this moment thank-you-very-much.” Oh the masks we wear.
One of the most common masks we wear is the relational, or more specifically the marriage mask. This is the mask that has come to fit so well that sometimes we confuse it with the real thing. As a pastor, I find myself being invited into the lives of individuals where often times the masks come off. This is where I see brokenness, hurt, hope, laughter, tears, frustration, doubt, grace, joy, pain, and beauty.
These are shared experiences by so many of us but we just don’t know it. We don’t know it because the masks get in the way. Please know this, you are not alone. You are not the only one whose marriage is trying to figure things out. You are not the only one whose addiction, or sometimes referred to as an allergy, is robbing you of life. You are not the only one whose kids are struggling to listen, behave, and learn. You are not the only one whose job is leaving you unfulfilled and over-stressed. You are not the only one feeling lonely, ashamed, or afraid. Please know this, you are not alone.
May you know the promise of the One who will never leave you alone. May you sense his presence with you and may he lead you to a community of faith that is trying to unmask life together in the light of God’s grace and love.