Take Off the Mask(part 1 of 2)
Yesterday was Halloween. I loved this holiday as a child. I got to be a different person for one day and collect as much candy as possible. How cool is that? Well, sort of. There is the whole cavity and pre-diabetes concern. That aside, the idea that you get to be someone else and get rewarded is fun but a bit twisted. Hear me loud and clear Halloween lovers: I am not knocking Halloween. It's a perfectly fun holiday. Just bear with me for a bit.
As I sprayed black dye onto my daughter's hair, I thought about how much of our life is spent pretending to be someone we are not. We are often told to from a very early age that we must act a certain way or put on a happy face or not throw a tantrum. If we are "good," we get a treat. Whether it's candy, an A+, or even a trophy.
In reality, we never grow out of that. We are constantly bombarded with messages to perform. We have to "fake it 'til we make it" in jobs, as students, even as parents. I will agree that this notion has helped me in all of the areas above, heck, even as a writer, but it is a slightly slippery slope. If gone unchecked, it can often lead us to feel like we are frauds. This is where the Truth of our identity has to resurface. This is where we have to take off our mask and remember where we started.
God says in Jeremiah 1:5a - "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you..."
Genesis 1:27 - "So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them."
We began with God, and He knew us, chose us to exist and brought us into the world. If the God of the universe professes His knowledge and love for us, then why would we need to disguise ourselves as anything less than lovely?
My husband has a saying: says easy, does hard. This is one of those places it is absolutely applicable. Why is it so easy to put on the mask? Is it safer? Is there more reward in the end? The world says yes.
In the book, Abba's Child by Brennan Manning, he calls this other self The Imposter. "Living out of the false self creates a compulsive desire to present a perfect image to the public so that everybody will admire us and nobody will know us."
This is incredibly sad and absolutely true. I want to be known and loved by others. But I first have to take off my mask and sit with the one who created the face beneath it. Only then, I can begin to approach the world with authentic confidence.
Engage the Kiddos -
Activity:
Play Guess the Famous Person. You can use words/phrases or change your voice to get the others to guess who you are.
Discuss:
How easy was it for you to act like someone else during the game?
What real situations do you pretend to be different?
Who are people or friends that you feel you can be yourself?
Read:
I Don't Want to Be a Frog - by Dav Petty
https://www.amazon.com/I-Dont-Want-Be-Frog/dp/0385378661/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1509546219&sr=8-1&keywords=i+don%27t+want+to+be+a+frog
You are Special - by Max Lucado
https://www.amazon.com/You-Are-Special-Lucados-Wemmicks/dp/0891079319/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1509546292&sr=1-1&keywords=You+are+Special
Reiterate: You are made in the image of God. You don't need to wear a mask to be loved and accepted.
As I sprayed black dye onto my daughter's hair, I thought about how much of our life is spent pretending to be someone we are not. We are often told to from a very early age that we must act a certain way or put on a happy face or not throw a tantrum. If we are "good," we get a treat. Whether it's candy, an A+, or even a trophy.
In reality, we never grow out of that. We are constantly bombarded with messages to perform. We have to "fake it 'til we make it" in jobs, as students, even as parents. I will agree that this notion has helped me in all of the areas above, heck, even as a writer, but it is a slightly slippery slope. If gone unchecked, it can often lead us to feel like we are frauds. This is where the Truth of our identity has to resurface. This is where we have to take off our mask and remember where we started.
God says in Jeremiah 1:5a - "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you..."
Genesis 1:27 - "So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them."
We began with God, and He knew us, chose us to exist and brought us into the world. If the God of the universe professes His knowledge and love for us, then why would we need to disguise ourselves as anything less than lovely?
My husband has a saying: says easy, does hard. This is one of those places it is absolutely applicable. Why is it so easy to put on the mask? Is it safer? Is there more reward in the end? The world says yes.
In the book, Abba's Child by Brennan Manning, he calls this other self The Imposter. "Living out of the false self creates a compulsive desire to present a perfect image to the public so that everybody will admire us and nobody will know us."
This is incredibly sad and absolutely true. I want to be known and loved by others. But I first have to take off my mask and sit with the one who created the face beneath it. Only then, I can begin to approach the world with authentic confidence.
Engage the Kiddos -
Activity:
Play Guess the Famous Person. You can use words/phrases or change your voice to get the others to guess who you are.
Discuss:
How easy was it for you to act like someone else during the game?
What real situations do you pretend to be different?
Who are people or friends that you feel you can be yourself?
Read:
I Don't Want to Be a Frog - by Dav Petty
https://www.amazon.com/I-Dont-Want-Be-Frog/dp/0385378661/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1509546219&sr=8-1&keywords=i+don%27t+want+to+be+a+frog
You are Special - by Max Lucado
https://www.amazon.com/You-Are-Special-Lucados-Wemmicks/dp/0891079319/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1509546292&sr=1-1&keywords=You+are+Special
Reiterate: You are made in the image of God. You don't need to wear a mask to be loved and accepted.
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