All the Little Hidden Things....

Knee brace? check
Both ankle braces? check
Ball cap? check
Going to play in a softball tournament you ask? Hardly.
I was just going through the checklist to take a walk this morning. 

You see, over a year ago I was taking a medication to help with an ongoing ailment, which created another; bone density loss.  So a simple 30 minute walk has to be well planned. Thus: the multiple braces.

The hat? Oh, that is just pure vanity.  It was misting rain this morning (bad frizz) and the all the beautiful people at L'oreal will see my purchase soon...( hello, roots ). Plus, this girl looks good in a ball cap.

As I walked the paved trail at a local park, I passed many people of all ages and all sizes.  One man was wearing shorts and a full leg brace.  An elderly man was using a walker.  There were of course the "Alpha" moms...you know, cute workout wear, body fat percentages of  -20, swishy ponytails, and the latest gadgets pumping music from their Nike arm bands.

It occurred to me as I passed others walking at a slower pace than me, that there are more than likely several "hidden" braces out there.  The pants I'm wearing hide my knee and ankle braces, but the pain is still there if I don't take it easy and/or overdo it.

That, got me to thinking.  How many other things in my life have I concealed today?
* makeup to hide the dark circles
* soon; hair color to hide the gray
* a big smile for my girls, to hide the fatigue
* a prayer to hide the worry...

Everyday, just think...we are all on a quest to "hide things."  Not that this is all bad.  Trust me...#8G Golden Blonde, is a wonderful thing, but in reality there are lots of "little hidden things" in our lives and in the lives of those we know.

As we go to church and shake hands and give hugs to the same handful of people who sit near us, or take care of our children, there are 100's of "concealed" matters going on around us.  The argument you had with  your kids/wife/husband/before church. The one you'll have after church. The fact that you drove there on "gas fumes." The empty refrigerator. The unemployed single mom that is about to be evicted. That single guy that always volunteers at church, because he's so lonely.  The kids/teenagers/adults that have self-esteem issues. The empty wallets. The empty nests. And on and on we and they conceal the hurts, stresses and cares that weigh on us like a backpack full of stones.

Should we wear our hearts on our sleeves?  Not always, or we would probably be a pretty pathetic bunch.
But what I think we have to start doing is really asking for a type of "supernatural magnifying glass."

Proverbs 25:2 says: "It is the glory of God to conceal a matter;to search out a matter is the glory of kings."(NIV)

What this says to me, is God has given us the amazing ability to "cope," to go on even when a knee hurts, or even when life hurts.  But if we are in Him and are indeed "a royal priesthood" (1Peter 2:9) and "joint heirs"(Romans 8:17) then we shouldn't we be seeking out the concealed things?  Now, I don't mean we have to all go out and get our P.h.D.s in Psychology, but I think we just have to get beyond the superficial and "Sunday Morning" mindsets.

I told someone recently, you can actually tell a lot about a person, by what they don't post on Facebook. No family pics?  No mention of vacations? No mention of shopping? ( Back to School, Christmas etc.) Concealed things. Look deeper, love harder.

So, today let's do something different.  When someone asks: "How are you?"Will we actually tell them?  When we discover someone really has a need and we have the means to help will we look deeper or will we resort to the Christian catch phrase: "I'll pray for you."

A few days ago, my oldest daughter asked me, "Do I have a sign on my head that says:'Please tell me your life story?'"  She said,every time I turn around someone is spilling their problems to me. I told her the "torch has been passed!" It has happened all my life.  I remember working as a cashier at a part-time job and usually with "Will this be all?" came a litany of "life" from said customer.

So, as we all continue on this "walk" (with or with out braces) my prayer is that we won't become so callous with our own things we're concealing that we forget to notice the ones that are needing you and me to break out the magnifying glass.