When I was a teenager, our youth group took a trip to Astroworld. Some of you may not know what that is, but it was an amusement park in Houston. I don’t know what happened to it, but a lot of good memories were made there, and I’m sad it’s gone.

The purpose of our trip, besides fun, was for our youth choir to sing at a musical event at the park. We were excited for the opportunity! After a day of rides and sun, plus singing for a crowd, we were ready to relax at our motel.

It was dark when we arrived, but we could see enough to know there was a huge pool on the grounds. We couldn’t wait to get in it! There were at least 30 kids on the trip, maybe more. After getting settled in our rooms and changing, we found our way to the pool, and most of the kids jumped in! We played and swam and went to bed late, thoroughly exhausted.

The next morning we were instructed to be outside at the bus at a certain time so we could head home. As we boarded the bus, we were able to see what had been covered in darkness the night before. The huge, lovely pool we had enjoyed was bright green! It was hard to believe we had been in it the previous night. Had it been daylight, I doubt if anyone would have gone swimming!

Darkness can cover a lot of things and mislead us. As we all know, dark times can occur in our lives during the day, too. Relationships, parenting challenges, job stress, and lots more can cause “dark” days. But in spite of these things that are often out of our control, we serve a God who cares and has the power to help us.

John 8:12 tells us, “When Jesus spoke to the people, he said, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.'”

We have his promise of light in our lives! Even when everything around us seems dark.

The last year and a half have introduced new experiences to us, and one of the most noticeable ones is wearing masks. All colors and patterns have been available as we have expressed ourselves through this new accessory.

As positive cases of the virus are subsiding, some of us are “unmasking” ourselves. What an interesting experience it has been to see what the new people I’ve met during the pandemic look like! I feel like I’m getting to know them all over again!

This reminds me of the concept of “masking” that was around long before the pandemic. We have all heard of “masking” one’s emotions. But this idea goes further. We can sometimes “mask” ourselves, meaning we hide who we really are.

What about you? Are there situations where you hide your true self?

I know this — God created us all individually, and he wants us to be the unique person he created us to be! He gave each of us gifts, talents, and our personality to go through life expressing his love. There are many challenges in this life, but he is there to help us through them.

“So in this period of “unmasking,” from the months of outward mask-wearing, think about your inner self. Who are you, really? Are you hiding your true self or some aspect of it? God, who created you, will help you find your self.