Cover Up

I recently found myself in a challenging situation I wasn't expecting.

I was having a conversation with a friend of mine where we were chatting about things we depend and rely on to make ourselves feel better.  It turned out that without realising, I have built up quite a reliance on wearing make up and struggling to leave the house without it.

I don’t wear a lot of make up; a bit of eyeliner and mascara and my eyes are done.  But I know I would struggle if I needed to go out without wearing any, which quickly evoked a question in my head – “Why?”

After challenging my friend to give up what she was relying on to feel better, I agreed to make the challenge equal, and to not wear any make up one evening, and it had to be an evening I was spending with my boyfriend.  I embraced the trial and was surprised at how difficult I found it.  Thankfully, my boyfriend was lovely and assured me I was still beautiful without it! 

I know clearly that the Bible says we are “fearfully and wonderfully made” and this is without cosmetics, but why can this sometimes be hard to understand fully on a personal level? 

The world can throw at us many things including advert after advert trying to sell us the next best-selling mascara, foundation or eyeliner.  Although some products really can do their job, I think it’s important to remember that we don’t need to rely on make up to make ourselves feel that we look better.

In fact, that evening, I had a sense of freedom where I knew others thought I still looked ok and I actually felt pretty relaxed, which was different to how I began the evening!

I still feel challenged by this, although this occasion has made a difference to how I feel about make up and I know that I don't need it to look more beautiful.  But what I do know, is that I’m accepted, loved, and saved regardless of how I look or behave and for that I am very  grateful!!