Joyful Transformation

I used to have a pair of jeans that I just loved. I wore them whenever and wherever I could. Eventually they developed a couple of holes in them. There was one frayed place of the back of my thigh that just kept growing. In my mind it added character to an already great pair of jeans. In my daughter’s mind, I was dressing like a hobo. She was around 13 or 14 at the time and suddenly pitched a fit anytime I put on my beloved pants. Well, I figured I could prolong the life of this treasure by cutting them off and making shorts out of them. Now, I had a favorite pair of shorts. I wore them until the waistband actually begin to fray. I am not sure if I eventually gave up and threw them away or if David or Diana did it for me but at some point they were no longer part of my life.

Isn’t it amazing how we enjoy something that is comfortable to us? Long after the appeal and at some point even the functionality had left, I refused to let go, to move on.

I am kind of like that with the mask I wear. Perhaps there are times when it is useful to be a different person in different situations. Perhaps there is true value to limiting personal exposure when you work with and for the public. But just like those jeans, eventually the mask will get frayed. It is no longer attractive or acceptable but just something you know you need to get rid of.

Yesterday in my reading for Lent I read, “He became like us so that we may become like him”. Any masks that we wear should only be mirrors that reflect the one that is living in us. The Holy Spirit is continually transforming our lives. We can’t help but grow and evolve if we fully belong to him.

But I am not perfect. I have failed and continue to fail in many ways. I seem to forget that if I could do it on my own Jesus would not have had to come and take my place. I forget that YOU fail too! Why do I forget that? Because you are wearing your mask, showing me only what you want me to see. When we begin to share our struggles, when we can truly be known as who and what we are, then we can take hold of the life changing power of the cross and live our lives free to love.