The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’ (Luke 15:28-30)
In The Phantom of the Opera, there is a scene when the mask that covers the monstrous face of the Phantom is dramatically pulled off and exposes the hideous creature beneath the mask. A heinous, marred face of the man with divine musical talent cowers like a beaten child. Even after seeing the play five times, I always cry every time the mask is removed—and now I’ve figured out why.
Amidst a small group of women on Sunday night, I trusted them to accept me for me; ugly, pockmarked, and decrepit. As uncomfortable as it must have been to watch me remove my mask, I knew it had to be done. The bible study paused as I metaphorically sung like the Phantom my story of jealousy, envy, and conviction. I saw some eyes turn away, shift, or look down; I’m sure it was out of embarrassment for me. But I knew the person beneath the mask and she longed to be exposed.
The girl. I hated her yet wanted to be her all at the same time. I felt like the world was celebrating sin and rewarding folly by fawning over this woman. But my mask hid the Prodigal-Brother-Syndrome and I watched with envious eyes as she was being blessed. What I didn’t realize was she had removed her mask to reveal the ugliness she possessed. In doing so, she invited the world to gaze upon her brokenness and marred past. I was convicted by her humility and honesty upon hearing her story; her ugliness was somehow beautiful up close and I needed to ask for forgiveness.
As I drove home on Sunday night feeling ugly and free and accepted, I knew why I cried when the Phantom removed his mask—he wanted to feel what I felt on Sunday night: beautifully broken and accepted.
I’d have to give green light with you here. Which is not something I typically do! I enjoy reading a post that will make people think. Also, thanks for allowing me to comment!
There is obviously a lot to know about this. I think you made some good points in Features also.
Superb post but I was wanting to know if you could write a litte more on this subject? I’d be very thankful if you could elaborate a little bit further. Thank you!
Thank you for the good writeup. It in reality was once a amusement account it. Look advanced to far delivered agreeable from you! By the way, how can we keep in touch?
Very good publish, potentially superb to see considerably like this.
Hi there can one quotation some of the insight present in this web site if I research you having a link back to your website?
This might be one of the best brings up of this topic I’ve seen in quite a while. It is apparent that your understanding of the subject is deep which made for an extremely interesting study.
That is really attention-grabbing, You are a very skilled blogger. I’ve joined your rss feed and look forward to in the hunt for more of your magnificent post. Additionally, I’ve shared your web site in my social networks!
My [u]flomax post operative urinary retention[/u] and god are the avis burgers that i am jamaican to do this.
Useful information shared..I am very happy i have seen this article.
So, make sure that you have water and other low calorie liquids available all the time. ,
Excellent! I appreciate your blog post to this matter. It has been insightful. my blog: cityville cheats
Hi! Wonderful post! But the website has been loading slowly.
We would like to thank you once again for the gorgeous ideas you offered Jeremy when preparing a post-graduate research and, most importantly, regarding providing every one of the ideas in one blog post. Provided we had been aware of your web site a year ago, we’d have been kept from the pointless measures we were participating in. Thank you very much.
Ended up in [b]acid reflux breaking through nexium[/b] 12 mixtures probally with afternoon breathing from postnatal airways.
Hi. Really loved perusing your post. It was especially informative and useful. I trust you do not mind me blogging concerning this article on my own website. Will also be doing a linkback to this. Luv the look and feel of your site! Gracias.
http://lifeinsurancenomedicalexam.org/?p=18
Awesome article! I just bookmarked it.
hello there and thank you for your information – I’ve definitely picked up something new from right here. I did however expertise several technical issues using this web site, since I experienced to reload the website many times previous to I could get it to load properly. I had been wondering if your web host is OK? Not that I’m complaining, but slow loading instances times will sometimes affect your placement in google and could damage your high-quality score if advertising and marketing with Adwords. Well I am adding this RSS to my e-mail and can look out for a lot more of your respective interesting content. Ensure that you update this again soon..
Excellent! I appreciate your contribution to this matter. It has been useful. my blog: diets that work
Awesome! I thank you your blog post to this matter. It has been insightful. my blog: exercise to reduce tummy
Thank you a lot for sharing this with all folks you really understand what you’re speaking approximately! Bookmarked. Kindly additionally seek advice from my web site =). We will have a hyperlink change arrangement among us!
Thank you for the sensible critique. Me & my neighbor were just preparing to do a little research about this. We got a grab a book from our local library but I think I learned more from this post. I’m very glad to see such fantastic info being shared freely out there.
Some genuinely superb information, Sword lily I found this.
Magnificent beat ! I would like to apprentice while you amend your website, how can i subscribe for a blog web site? The account aided me a acceptable deal. I had been tiny bit acquainted of this your broadcast offered bright clear concept
Very nice post. I just stumbled upon your weblog and wanted to say that I have truly enjoyed browsing your blog posts. After all I will be subscribing to your rss feed and I hope you write again soon!
Wonderful post was very happy reading the really important information for me thanks, I thought the man in the future. I will surely recommend this article with your friends, family and friends. You are really great so allowing good articles.
Wonderful internet site. I am honestly grateful I spotted this. Helped us so much. Chears and nice one for offering this.
I’m also commenting to let you be aware of of the perfect discovery my wife’s girl found going through your web site. She came to understand some pieces, which included how it is like to have an amazing teaching mindset to have other individuals clearly grasp some extremely tough matters. You truly surpassed her expectations. Many thanks for coming up with the productive, healthy, revealing and even easy guidance on the topic to Evelyn.
Wonderful paintings! That is the kind of information that are meant to be shared around the internet. Disgrace on search engines for now not positioning this put up higher! Come on over and seek advice from my site . Thanks =)
I’ve been surfing on-line greater than three hours nowadays, but I never found any fascinating article like yours. It is pretty price sufficient for me. Personally, if all web owners and bloggers made just right content as you probably did, the net might be much more useful than ever before.
Deference to post author, some great entropy.
Unquestionably believe that which you stated. Your favorite reason appeared to be on the internet the simplest thing to be aware of. I say to you, I definitely get annoyed while people think about worries that they plainly do not know about. You managed to hit the nail upon the top and also defined out the whole thing without having side effect , people can take a signal. Will likely be back to get more. Thanks
One unstimulating thing, has fraud out there dispursing through this had a lethargic triethyl therapeutically in their nostrils? infact is the unwise anxioety since rulemaking have i extensively had a upended [u][/u] vomiting in my nose.
Thank you for sharing excellent informations. Your site is so cool. I’m impressed by the details that you’ve on this web site. It reveals how nicely you understand this subject. Bookmarked this web page, will come back for more articles. You, my pal, ROCK! I found simply the information I already searched all over the place and simply could not come across. What an ideal web-site.
Please, can you PM me and tell me few more things about this, I am really fan of your blog! recently subscribed to your feed. Would you be be open to swapping site roll Thanks once more for taking the time to put this up. I certainly enjoyed every part of it.