On page 111 of The Shack book, the main character, Mack, is talking with Jesus and asks Him why He (Jesus) is not more handsome. After a chuckle, Jesus tells Mack, "If you really get to know me it won't matter." Mack doesn't get it and finally asks why that is. Jesus replies:

"It is quite simple really. Being always transcends appearance - that which only seems to be. Once you begin to know the being behind the very pretty or very ugly face, as determined by your bias, the surface appearances fade away until they simply no longer matter. ... God, who is the ground of all being, dwells in, around, and through all things - ultimately emerging as the real - and any appearances that mask that reality will fall away."

This is so true!! ...and I can see and apply it to others easily. As I think of people I love whom I would not consider to be handsome or beautiful on the outside (according to my bias), I realize that in getting to know them, the reality of who they are in the depths of their soul, their very being, is what draws me to them, and their physical attributes don't really matter. But I couldn't believe that it was true about me.

Sadly, many individuals are not able to connect with that deep part of themselves, and there are many reasons for this. In my life, my family was afraid the world would crush me because I was so sensitive, so they took steps to "toughen me up." Their actions only served to make me feel more defective because I had no control over my sensitivity and it made me become very inhibited and afraid to let others see what was in my heart. THANK GOD for the counseling and healing, which allowed me to understand that I couldn't show people my heart because that part of me had not been accepted or nourished. Deeply hidden, my sensitive side cried out to be seen and acknowledged, but I didn't have the skills or knowledge to do that until I was almost 60. Fortunately, God did know what I needed and He led me along the path of healing, one step at a time, until I was able to let go of the need to control, and to be right, and to be independent, and to not need anyone. Feeling as if I were on the edge of a proverbial cliff, I took the risk and threw myself into His open arms, trusting Him as He delighted in showing me the beauty of my sensitive side and allowing it to blossom.

Life is so much better now that I don't have to pretend to be whomever I think people want me to be. I can connect to who I am in the depths of my being (as St. Teresa of Avila has described it), to that part of me that is united with God, and wants only to love Him and others as He wills.

This is true for everyone. We are not defined by our abuse or what people have said about us. We are God's children, and on page 100 of The Shack book, God tells Mack:

"Remember this. Humans are not defined by their limitations, but by the intentions that I have for them; not by what they seem to be, but by everything it means to be created in my image."

If you are wearing masks to prevent people from seeing the "real" you, I encourage you to take a chance and open your heart to God. He will most certainly accept you as you are, as He leads you along the path of healing where you will discover with great joy and delight, the person He created you to be.