Halloween just passed and some of us put on some kind of fun costume or mask. Here at our church we had Trunk-or-Treat on Sunday night, and then the staff dressed up again for games with the preschool kids on Monday morning. It was all in good fun. But on the serious side, wearing other kinds of masks can be very harmful.

Last week at our Celebrate Recovery meeting we watched a video called, “Masks”. It was amusing and can be found here. It so reminded me of the masks that most of us have worn or still wear. It may be the mask of pride, perfection, or the mask of having it all together. We try to hide behind them and prevent others from knowing who we really are.

Celebrate Recovery (CR) is about removing those masks. It is about coming out of denial, about being open and honest with ourselves, God and others. It’s about leaving a life of fear and dishonesty and living or at least starting to walk on the path of truth and light. It’s hard to remove our masks, but the result is worth it. Freedom!

Recently one of our CR leaders shared their testimony. She had worn the kind of mask that I am talking about for many years and had fooled me completely. The mask is now gone. She now openly talks about her life in her small group and leads others to do the same. An amazing transformation has and is taking place. As I sat and listened to the testimony I was thankful to God and so happy for her. Sometimes when I wonder about the effectiveness of things I help with at church, I am encouraged by the transformed life of a servant like this and our God who mightily works in her.