I’m glad Halloween is over, and not because I have a philosophical issue with trick-or-treating. I’m glad it’s over because I hate fun-size candy bars. There is NOTHING fun about a “fun-size” candy bar. It’s not even a candy bar; it’s like a “candy bite”. Fun-size candy bars only leave me disappointed and wanting more (not that I need to eat another candy bar!).
Another reason that I’m glad Halloween is over is because I hate masks. Halloween just serves to remind me of the masks I wear all year long. It’s so easy to hide behind masks and keep others from seeing the real me. I’m sure you never struggle with this. Right?
I’m going to remove my mask for just a minute. Here it goes: The truth is, I like Miley Cirus’ new song, “Party In The USA” and when it plays on the radio, I turn it up loud and sing along! The truth is, I like the Bee-Gee’s, too. The truth is, I watch the new 90210. The truth is, I lied about my weight when I got my NC drivers license. The truth is, most days, I feel inadequate, insecure, and scared of really screwing up. Is this awkward, or is it just me? I think I’ll put my mask back on for now.
Masks keep us from being VULNERABLE. What does it really mean to be VULNERABLE and why is it so important? I mean, so what? You go through life and nobody knows the real you except for God? Isn’t that all that matters? Here’s the problem: If nobody knows the real you, then nobody can love the real you. And, if nobody can love the real you, then you go through life void of experiencing authentic human love. A lot of people go through life this way, and it’s sad because God designed us to experience authentic love within the context of human relationships.
I saw this cartoon in a book that I read recently and I thought it was profound:
It’s hard to be vulnerable because we’re so afraid of what others think; their opinions paralyze us. But, the truth is we’re all human, none of us are perfect, and we’re all covering up something by wearing a mask–that keeps us from being VULNERABLE.Other than God, is there anybody on this planet that knows the real you? What mask are you hiding behind today and are you willing to remove it and allow yourself be VULNERABLE?
-Danny