It was a big deal to my brothers and I as to what costume we were going to wear for Trick or Treating. But when we were little, much to our dismay, we didn't get a choice. My mom had found, at some Halloween in the past, three costumes on clearance. She was so excited that we -- her children-- were able to wear a s
tore-bought costume, as if we were royalty. Others could wear their home-made outfits, but we would have the best.
She brought out the bag with the boxes, revealing three tiger costumes, complete with masks, all in the same size. Despite our four year age span, it was even large on my older brother. Plenty of room for your snow suits underneath, she said, greatly pleased. You don't want to catch a death of cold.
I would have rather come down with a grave illness. We appeared a motley crew, at best, not just as three over-sized store-bought tigers, but jungle animals that appeared to have feasted all night, our thick parkas stuffed underneath. And while all the other little girls on our block were transformed into dainty pink ballerinas and glimmering princesses, I trudged along from house to house with my matching brothers, glad only for the plastic mask that hid my identity.
And we wore those costumes reluctantly, year after year, until the thin material finally wore through and the plastic masks became brittle, much to our rejoicing.
And at dawn this morning of what appears to be a rainy Halloween, I thought - now with humor - of those childhood traumas, and realized that every day as my day stretches before me, I have a choice to make. Have I decided not just what I need
to do today, but
what I want to be?
Be a blessing.
Bless the LORD, all His works,
in all places of His dominion.
Bless the LORD, O my soul.
Psalm 103.22
Bless the LORD
by blessing others
in all things,
in all places,
among all on my path
or ringing my doorbell,
even her,
even him,
even in
this.
The LORD will show you how.
No masks allowed.
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