Painting verses Masking

In a text to my union glazier friend, I asked him if we could change jobs for the day. I had been sequestered to something far worse than Jury Duty; the painting of a daughters room. He laughed (with an emoji, what’s up with that?) and in his way said NO! He didn't paint either, but was great at masking.

As I painted the high places & proclaimed an age related inability to reach the low places, my thoughts began to roam. I liked the masking far more than the painting and prided myself on being a pretty darn good masker, maybe one of the best! (This revelation was surely brought about by the fumes without a sliver of proof to its validity mind you) My reflection's turned to life & my life in particular. I could claim, w/proof, I was darn good at masking here.

When we mask a room for painting we do so to keep the paint out. When we mask ourselves we do so to keep others out. On the one hand we do it so the paint won’t ruin what is underneath. On the other hand we do it because we believe what is underneath is already ruined! Isn’t it curious that paint seems to have gotten through in some way, shape or form when the masking is removed? What about when our masks are removed?

Try as we might to keep people out from behind our masks, there always seem to be a few whose superpower is like paint…they can get behind anywhere! Maybe this is a better definition of God’s omnipresence, No matter how good we are at masking He has a way of getting behind anywhere. 

Just as a painter touches up where needed after the unmasking, God does the same. I believe it’s because what we see as ruined Father sees as redeemable. Where a painter looks at his work with satisfaction, Father looks at His workmanship with LOVE. It takes a steady hand to paint w/o masking & it takes a secure friend or friends to live w/o a mask. Now that reminds me of an old hymn: “What a friend we have in Jesus". (Hey I was just a kid when this stuff was still hip) 

I'm gonna go and finish removing the masking from my daughters room. Then I'll look to see if I'm doin any masking of my own. I'll  do some touch-up where needed & let the Master Painter come in and touch-up where He says “I” need it! After all, He is the painter & I'm His work of art...and so are YOU! Ready for the unmasking?

Think About It,
Just Steve