I rarely wear makeup anymore. I figure that I am nearly 62 years old. I have wrinkles. And sags. And the beginning of a chin wattle. I wear my gray hair proudly, and have earned every wrinkle.
However, this morning I felt good. I wore my houndstooth checked skirt with a skinny black belt, a red draped-neck shirt, black short sleeved overtop, and all matching accessories. I looked good!
And, so I added to my “specialness” and added foundation, blush and …..dum-de-dum-dum….mascara.
We headed off to church…..where I realized that I was the lector for today. Now, though I felt good today, it has been a rough week. I have worked…..REALLY HARD….at shutting my damned mouth! I have had uncharitable thoughts about some ER doctors…..some ICU nurses….some administration staff….and a few patients….and mentally have kicked myself in the patootie several times this week for not “living what I believe.”
I had not read the lessons before I ascended the steps and started reading the Epistle lesson for the day. I read it…quite well, I’d say….until I got to the last two lines of the verse. As I read them, my voice trembled. My voice choked. And my eyes…..decorated with mascara….teared. I managed to finish the reading and stumbled out of the lectern, back to my pew, and desperately searched for a tissue to wipe away the mascara streaking down my cheeks.
The reading was from Romans 8: For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Not my attitude. Not any er doc, icu nurse, adminstration staff, or self-patootie-kicking abuse. Nothing will separate me from the love of God.
Grace explained.
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