finished...or am I?

As the midnight hour approaches to signal the end of my make-up free month, I have mixed feelings. I never expected an epiphany at the end. In ways, I actually could not wait for Feb 1st to get here and put that fun colorful palette on my face again. So the question of, "Will you wear make-up again?" is answered with a simple: Yes. Honestly, it has become less and less about the make-up though and more and more about the Lord using that simple thing to reveal deeper issues at hand. This is just the beginning of a season of purging, healing, and restoring for me.

My identity is not found in being a young, heterosexual, professional woman that comes from a broken family. It is so much more than that. God created me to be holy. Awesome idea, but after many failed attempts, I have realized that I can't "try" to be holy. I realize each day that the more I "try" to be holy and perfect, I actually slip farther away from really being those things. Merriam Webster defines holy as: "exalted or worthy of complete devotion as one perfect in goodness and righteousness." The key word there is complete devotion. When we are trying to be holy on our own accord, our devotion and focus is on ourselves. Looking back, a percent of me tried this make-up free idea in the hopes of growing closer to the Lord, or I could say "holy." Don't you love how the Lord does not work on our agenda? In the beginning, I was focused on myself and the actual act of what I was doing. As the weeks passed, I became less focused on what I was actually doing and hence, less focused on myself. It was a slow and still continual surrender of myself. I was able to exalt and put the devotion where it was meant to be...the one true and holy God. When we become recklessly abandoned to God and completely surrendered, the Lord is able to do His work and out of that comes a vessel set apart as beautiful and holy ready for their one job...to proclaim and glorify their Creator. When that comes, we will be reflecting the holiness of our holy God, whose image we were created in.

So the real question isn't whether I am wearing makeup again and finished with this journey...it's whether I am ready to continue on this journey and be that reflective vessel...The answer: YES!