Masks

Tonight, I had the opportunity to share and perform a spoken word poem at a young women's conference called, DNA: Unveiling The Real Me. The theme was about removing the masks that so many of us carry because we don't want people to see our insecurities. it was amazing to see God's heart tonight as many of the girls removed masks and experienced a new freedom. It was a powerful night. 

Here's a copy of my poem.

Masks

by Me

I remember when I first put on this mask

I was, six-years-old… SIX… s-i-x

Then the next thing I remember is him forcing me to replace the

“i” in the word six with an “e.” I thought that I, couldn’t tell my mother

his, advances were undercover, ripped from me, was the true meaning of a lover

and who knew, that I would have to rediscover my, identity

and the sad thing is, this dude was kin to me, so

there went my view of family and my childhood read like a tragedy

this, grief that gripped my innocence callously, kept me from reaching out for help.

I. didn’t. even. Ask.

Instead, I learned at an early age to hide my suffering with a mask.

Humor became my mask of choice, it

Gave a voice to the pain I felt, the strain I felt as an adolescent - I was a funny kid.

I, hid because I felt unclean,

I, told jokes when I was scared

The, scars on my life were unseen

They were, open wounds that constantly flared

I, vowed to never show my pain,

It, became my mantra, I declared

The, mask I wore hid the shame

Of, the secret life that I would bare

Satan is the master of interference

He wants you to care more about your appearance, and less about

Jesus’ perseverance to set you free

See, with me –I wore all kinds of masks:

I wore the: “Hey everybody! I’ve got it all together mask.” Or the,

“I’m the life of the party or nothing’s wrong! Or don’t approach me” face – the, mask that would keep people outta my space

I pretended that my life was all-together, and every day I got better and better

at locking away my true self

The lie is, satan wants you to be anything other than who you were created to be

He wants you wrapped up in hiding your insecurity

And by wearing a mask, you consent – literally, to presenting a false picture for the world to see

Don’t. present. Yourself. falsely… it’s too costly.

Because no matter what you do,

God sees through the mask, right down to the “real you”.

He sees all the failures, mistakes and flaws

Then draws an “x” over it, canceling out those walls

then loves you completely and unconditionally,

with no pretense, because He’s serious about you.

I remember the day I removed my masks

I was tired of carrying it’s weight,

I just wanted to unveil the real me

I wanted an empty and clean slate

I was tired of being fake, and carrying these scars

I was ready to press the delete button,

Instead of holding on to the space bar

I began seeing through the Father’s eyes

Accepting who I am called to be

Now, I don’t hide my face

Through intimacy, I’ve learned transparency

And we, with unveiled faces, ALL reflect the Lord’s glory

Being transformed into His likeness by letting GO of our story

When Jesus looks at you, what will he see? Your mask or your heart?