So today has been an interesting one. Some seriously awesome things happened this evening; we’ve started a student alpha course with my church and I was welcoming people in. I won’t lie, on the way there I was bricking it. Meeting new people with absolutely no make up on WHATSOEVER is something that I absolutely dread and hate. As I said in my post yesterday, I feel like with the makeup I have some sort of cover and something to hide behind. But I didn’t tonight, and I have to say it was probably one of the most humbling experiences of my life. I say this only because I had no reason to hide. I was with my church family, and we were welcoming new people in. What better way to do that to just be ourselves in our skin?
The church is a place where we can and should be us, in all of our mess, in all of our brokenness, and in all of us as we are. What do I mean by this? I guess what I’m trying to say is that me wearing no make up tonight didn’t leave me with a cover or a mask. It was just me. Sometimes I think church can be a bit like this, where we wear a cover and try to hide away all of the things we don’t want people to see. Like the spots we cover on our faces or the weird birthmark we might have or the excess freckles. We don’t want people to see those – and sometimes, not all the time, it’s the same with church. So welcoming people into the church family for the first time sans makeup was good for me. It got me thinking that if the church took of its make up sometimes, maybe that would be good too.
ANYWAY. I digress. I haven’t slept nearly long enough to try and justify that last paragraph with some sort of excuse. I just needed to write that. ANYWAY (again). I got some pretty lovely compliments this evening too. I wasn’t expecting any kind of response from wearing no make up. Honestly? I was expecting less attention or some sort of diversion. Fickle silly me. I was told I looked beautiful anyway, and even that I looked better. This was news to me. I was walking home tonight thinking it all over and please please please don’t think I’m saying don’t accept the compliments people give you, go ahead, I dish them out all the time, but don’t base yourselves on them. As I see it, the people there tonight (if you’re reading this and you’re one of the people who complimented me, you’re a complete babe, thank you) were just telling me what God sees every day. And that is what I want to base my self esteem on.
Fearfully and wonderfully made? You bet.
Peace and blessings x
annieanais: 