PHARISEE TIMES TWO

What's more disconcerting
than finding you have been
living behind a mask?






















Finding another mask...

behind the first.

The first is on public display,
and says , "Aren't I something!"
The other is my own hidden mask...
and deceives me with...
"yes, I sure am!"

So what does it take
to drop the masks?

At first I don't think I know.
But then I realize...

that's not true,
I do know...

It takes the Power of God.
I'm such a rebel that only the
Power of God can accomplish
such a work as that.

A mask won't allow me to be me.
But if masking is all I know,
I can easily feel naked without one.
Vulnerable. Lost.
Even stupid, at times.

And it takes courage
not to don the mask again.

There's a lot of work to do.

So I establish my
starting point...

The arms of

The Rock of Ages...






















Then comes the restructuring
that only He can do.
And I just hang on.
No matter how long it takes.
And it takes time.

But that's ok.
Surgery is a delicate thing.
It takes time to do it well.
And the patient has to cooperate.

But I am willing, because
Reality is better than Fantasy.
Authenticity is better than Pretense.

So I keep in His Word
I keep trusting.
I keep asking.
I keep still.

This is a God-sized job.

Go for it, Father,
And thank you
from the bottom
of my heart...
that You are there
all through the
bloody mess.