PLASTIC FACES

“Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.  The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.”  (James 5:16, NIV)

I’m sure that all of us with chronic illness and/or pain have, at one time or another, put on a smiling plastic face when we felt totally miserable on the inside.  It’s so easy to glue that smile on at church, around friends or family, or those we want to impress.  I don’t believe it’s wrong to smile when we are hurting to show others that we trust in God to provide and bring good out of our trials (Romans 8:28).  However, we each need to ask ourselves the question, “How real and honest are we with others about our hurts, sins and weaknesses?”

Do the words of the song “Stained Glass Masquerade”, written by Mark Hall and Nicole Nordeman, convict you as much as they do me?

Is there anyone that fails?

Is there anyone that falls?

Am I the only one in church today,

Feelin’ so small?

Cause when I take a look around,

Everybody seems so strong.

I know they’ll soon discover

That I don’t belong.

So I tuck it all away,

Like everything’s okay.

If I make them all believe it,

Maybe I’ll believe it, too.

So with a painted grin

I play the part again,

So everyone will see me

The way that I see them.

Are we happy, plastic people

Under shiny plastic steeples,

With walls around our weaknesses

And smiles to hide our pain?

The performance is convincing

And we know every line by heart.

Only when no one is watching

Can we really fall apart.

But would it set me free

If I dared to let you see

The truth behind the person

That you imagine me to be?

Would your arms be open

Or would you walk away?

Would the love of Jesus

Be enough to make you stay?

We need to be more open and honest with others about our frailties so that they might feel free to unmask as well.

Dear Jesus:  Help us to be humble enough to remove our plastic faces and expose our sins and weaknesses to others.