Do you wear your invisible mask all year?

Governor Kay Ivey issued an updated statewide COVID-19 order for Alabama on Sept. 30. Her “Safer at Home” order was extended until Nov. 8. That order continues the requirement for people to wear face masks when interacting within six feet with people of another household.

The Centers for Disease Control state that a mask should cover your nose and mouth and secure it under your chin and fit snugly against the sides of your face. There’s much debate on this subject, both pro and con. I choose to wear a mask in public, even though I am a COVID-19 survivor. The virus infected one member of our family and seven others contracted it. So I know firsthand it is highly contagious.

From the time people began wearing masks, they changed the way we look. Under a mask, you cannot tell whether someone is smiling or frowning…or even sticking out their tongue.

People first began wearing masks during cooler weather; then came the summertime heat. During fall and winter, maybe masks will keep our faces warm. Weeks ago, it occurred to me that Halloween has lost its garb. After all, we’ve been wearing masks most of the year!

What’s behind your mask? I’m talking about the false faces you and I hide behind. Many of us wear our masks all year. There’s no need for a specific day on the calendar.

These masks are not for sale in stores. These are the invisible ones we put on to conceal ourselves from our families, friends and co-workers. We wear them to disguise who we really are or to hide our true motives and feelings.

Have you ever been going through a tough time when someone you know comes up to you and asks, “How are you doing?” Usually, I’ll calmly reply, “Oh, I’m fine. How are you?” I’m wearing my “I’ve-got-it-all-together mask” to look like a person who hasn’t got a problem. Have you ever worn this mask?

Maybe you can relate to the following example. Picture a typical family on their way to church. They happen to be running late getting to Sunday School. As they drive down the street, the husband and wife argue about who’s responsible for making them late.

Meanwhile, the siblings in the back seat pester one another until the parents have to stop their argument to correct the children’s behavior.

When the family pulls into the church parking lot, a remarkable transformation occurs. The parents get out of their minivan smiling and greeting fellow church members entering the building.

What happened? They put on their smiles to mask the sour expressions that had been on their faces.

Masks can also be funny or frightening. Someone may act like the life of the party, but actually be the most miserable. A person afraid to be seen as tender-hearted may hide behind a “tough guy” exterior.

In Mark 4:22, we read, “For there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed.” People may not know what’s behind your “mask,” but God does. Be honest with yourself and God. Show the real you.

Jan White is a wife, mother, and freelance writer who lives in Andalusia. Her email address is [email protected].