I had a favorite tube of lipstick. It was the perfect shade and one I was comfortable with, a light pink that gave me some color but wasn’t too noticeable. It didn’t “kiss away” or smudge. Once it was becoming impossible to scrape anymore out of the tube it was time to buy a new one. To my surprise they didn’t have the right color! They had a similar one, so I bought it hoping it would work. It didn’t and in fact it didn’t even look like I had put any on. Next time at the store I went about picking a new color. I thought since it was winter, maybe I’d go with a darker shade, but I’m not one for dark lipstick. I found an almost dark color that I thought would work, it was a wine color, not too pink, not too red, just nicely in between. The first time I put it on, I took it right back off immediately! This was not for me! It was possible I was being self conscience since I wasn’t used to a darker shade, so I got a second opinion. Randy thought it looked nice so I decided to give it another try.
On day 2 of this lipstick trial we attended a Christmas dinner…
As I was leaving the kid’s at Gram and Pap’s I kissed them goodbye as I always do. Unlike others, this time they had lip prints on their cheeks! It made me think of my childhood and how my Mom used to always do this to me (she still does sometimes and I have gone hours before noticing!).
At dinner, I ordered my drink, took a sip, and looked at my straw….I was that mother!! I was the mother who left a lipstick stain on her straw! I aged 20 years in that moment!
I’ve been wearing the lipstick now for a few days and as uncomforting as it was in the beginning, it’s starting to grow on me. I like the color now and I just may keep it. I have to admit though, my favorite thing about it is leaving “lips” on my babies!
What kind of impression is our faith leaving behind? Some of us have what seems like a beautiful faith but never let it rub off or leave an impression on anyone around us. We keep enough faith that it works for us but is never noticeable to the ones around us. We hold on to the same level of faith and try to keep scraping out as much as possible. Some of us get so comfortable in our faith it becomes ineffective.
We need to have a faith that reaches out to others. One that keeps growing and renewing day by day. Our faith should be seen in our acts and in our deeds. We should be walking in and stepping out in faith every day. This may be uncomfortable at first, but we need to trust God, He will not fail us! Just like my new shade keeps leaving lip prints behind, our faith should be leaving heart prints behind. Acts of faith that show others God’s unconditional, unfailing, never ending, LOVE!
“Let us consider and give attentive, continuous, care to watching over one another, studying how we may stir up love and helpful deeds and noble activities.“ Hebrews 10:24
“May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.” 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17
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