a Pastor's makeup, as in mascara, eye shadow, etc..

Last Sunday I forgot to put on makeup. It's not like I'm Tammy Faye or anything. Makeup isn't the most important part of my day, and I put on a bare minimum. But that bare minimum is enough to give me the impression-true or false- that I'm put together. I don't know what happened this past Sunday. Shortly before church started, I went into the restroom, and when I looked in the mirror, I gasped. I had no makeup with me at church. Nothing. I'm not the type who carries makeup around, except when I think I might cry, and will need to reapply. I could do nothing, except be a pastor without makeup that day.

I messed up during the service. I said "sins" instead of "debts" in the Lord's Prayer.. My Pastoral prayer was a little "off", I felt.. The fact is, lacking that bare minimum of makeup made me feel not-at-all-together. It's not like anybody else noticed, or if they did they didn't say anything. I suppose that would be a strange thing to say, "Hey, did you forget your makeup today?" I noticed--once I looked in the mirror. (I wonder if I hadn't looked in the mirror if I would have noticed eventually?) And I felt wrong, all morning.

It got me to thinking.. that's what time with God's supposed to do for me each day, isn't it? I admit, my devotional life has been less-than satisfactory lately. My struggles with God because of this ongoing pain of infertility and adoption delays have sometimes left me not wanting to read my Bible, or pray.. especially in the morning, because I usually tear up when reading the Bible, and then I'd have to reapply makeup. But I digress. Daily time with God should be more than the bare minimum, and it's intention is not to cover anything up, like a face-that-is-too-pale.. rather, it can be the glue that puts us together for the day. Not protecting us from harm, from bad days, from the world caving in around us.. but providing some strength and sustenance to help us respond and manage a bit better. And hopefully we grow closer to God. That's the idea.

So, hopefully this Sunday I'll remember my makeup. But more importantly, hopefully everyday I'll spend time with God, gaining strength for the day, listening to God's voice, praying for others and self, and resting in God's Word. At least that's the idea.