Plastic People

Stained Glass Mascarade lyrics by Casting Crowns Is there anyone that fails?Is there anyone that falls?Am I the only one in church today feelin' so small?Cause when I take a look aroundEverybody seems so strongI know they'll soon discoverThat I don't belongSo I tuck it all away, like everything's okIf I make them all believe it, maybe I'll believe it tooSo with a painted grin, I'll play the part againSo everyone will see me the way that I see themAre we happy plastic peopleUnder shiny plastic steeplesWith walls around our weaknessAnd smiles that hide our painBut if the invitations openTo every heart that's been brokenMaybe then we close the curtain on our stained glass masqueradeIs there anyone who's been there?Are there any hands to raise?Am I the only one who's tradedIn the altar for a stage?The performance is convincingAnd we know every line by heartOnly when no one is watchingCan we really fall apartBut would it set me freeIf i dared to let you seeThe truth behind the personThat you imagine me to beWould your arms be openOr would you walk awayWould the love of JesusBe enough to make you stay? Plastic By Stephanie Cawthron You know, I really love the lyrics to this song. The words are so very true. So many of us doubt, and are unable to trust anyone enough to be ourselves. Even the very people who claim to have the heart of Christ. Our Pastors. Our church leaders, our church members. . The very people who are called by God to share his message of love are unable to love. Unable to be real and transparent. Why? Well, I have several thoughts on this issue. · I believe that there is much undue expectation put on our pastors, and deacons, and members. Not even as much from others…but from themselves. · I believe that there are many of us who have never experienced the true love of Christ from others…so that we are unable to accurately portray that love to others. · I believe that un-forgiveness haunts every single one of us as humans. o We are unable to forgive and forget… o We trip over stuff we swept under the rug ad tried to forget… o We still feel the pain despite all the rationalizing … o We are guilty from feeling the pain of the offense, whatever it may have been… o We are ashamed of things that have happened to us that aren’t even our fault… o We are internally angry, bitter, and unloving. Stained Glass is essentially small pieces of colored glass arranged to form patterns or pictures, held together (traditionally) by strips of lead and supported by a rigid frame. God knew each of us and planned us from before the beginning of creation. Each of us are made perfect in his image. And then sin entered the world. Consequently, as we go through life, we are broken to bits and torn to pieces. We are colored, and shaped from our experiences, both good and bad… And we are held together by false securities in whatever we can grasp. We are held together by rigid sets of rules and habits that we’ve grown accustomed to as our days of moulding, breaking, and bonding continue on. Sounds a lot like that stained glass to me. It looks real pretty to those who can see the outside. But on the inside, we are all broken. We are all imperfect. And we all have expectations of ourselves that are unfulfilled because of one thing or another. The longer we each go on, walking behind that masquerade, the longer we hurt. The longer we suffer. The pain grows with all of the guilt and shame of our past…and in many instances…our present. I can’t tell you how to fix every problem in your life. I can’t give you all the answers to what you may feel like you need. What I can do, is share with you how I am beginning to break the bondage of my stained glass… I now realize that I no longer have to be defined by all the bits and pieces of my past. I no longer have to feel the guilt, or the shame of my actions, or of the abuse that was done to me as a child. It has been a long road…and one that will continue for the rest of my life. It is a process. Most of what I am learning has not come easily…or overnight…but as difficult as it is to change, I am here to tell you…it’s worth it. It’s worth it! Yes, our sin may be comfortable, it may be all we know…but, there is light at the end of whatever tunnel you are currently stuck in. That light is the answer. There are many ways to find that light. I don’t know all of them. I can only draw from my well of experiences…and share with you what I have found. I have found sme great friends. Not just fair weather friends, but really deep down in the pit with me family! They are there for the good, they are there in the bad and ugly. I can count on them. Because I count on the creator of heaven and earth. And so do they. Jesus is the answer. These friends loved me enough, through Christ, to speak truth into my life so that I am clear of all the baggage I had because of my life. And I can now see clearly the road before me. I have a new perspective. And I have a faith that is rooted in the existence of love… 1 John 1:7But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. I no longer want to wear that mask the song talks about. I won’t tuck it all away, or pretend that it’s okay! I no longer feel the constant need to please others. Christ has given me the freedom to be myself, and is giving me the strength to endure whatever God brings me through. And right now, it is facing the fact that when I change…when I am doing a new dance for God, it forces others to change their dance. That change is very uncomfortable for others… It is so “unnatural” that they do not see it for what it is…blessings and miracles of God! But they look at is as evil. Because they see evil in themselves. They do not recognize the light of God’s true love, because they have not experienced it for themselves yet. That is why I feel so led to speak God’s truth and love into other’s lives. God’s Truth is always wrapped in love, even if it hurts. God disciplines those He loves. Sometimes, He uses us to speak. Or to reach out, and hold… The cool thing about God is that He can do whatever He wants, in whatever ways He decides. The hard part is, that it can be difficult to be obedient to what He wants, and often when we do…. It may be unappreciated at the time. Bottom line…. Grace empowers us to be all we are called to be, and do all we are called to do. The very concept that this ministry is based off of is the parable of the seed. Though it is sometimes easy for me to plant seeds…it is very difficult for me to step back and wait for God to grow it, and to know that I may very likely not be the one who harvests those seeds. It is also very difficult for me to accept that sometimes the ground is just too hard…too rocky for the soil to be fertile… Father, I pray for the grace to accept the life you’ve given me! This is the truth behind the person you imagine me to be. Will your arms be open? Will you walk away? Will the love of Jesus, be enough to make YOU stay?