My eyeliner smeared this morning… three times. It was so bad the first time that my attempts to correct it with a Q-tip only made it worse so I washed my face and reapplied only to have it smear again. I would have washed and started again but it was time to open at work AND I only had a little powder make-up left and needed to stretch that for another couple of days… ugh. This kind of stuff makes me irritable and self-conscious and grouchy. Not my favorite way to start the day.
This was when the Holy Spirit quoted a Scripture to me, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” (James 1:2-4)
Wow. Does He mean trials of any kind? Even smeared make-up? I know that Jesus cares about me and promised to never leave me or forsake me, but doesn’t this verse mainly apply to persecution and major life challenges? Certainly not something so petty and insignificant as eyeliner.
The answer is “yes.” It’s not so much what the trial is, but what it does to us. It seems easier to be faithful when the trial is big and obvious because we know we need a Savior. But when the trial is little and annoying, we assume that it is too small to give to Jesus and we try to deal with it on our own. This is when we get irritated, self-conscious and grouchy. We take our eyes off Jesus and even little things can rock us.
We are called to be faithful in the little things so we can be trusted with the big things (Luke 16:10). It produces perseverance which makes us mature and complete – “not lacking in anything.” Wow. That’s really cool. I want to be complete and lack-less (is that a word?)!
This act of faithfulness is giving everything (including our eyeliner smears) to Jesus and trusting in Him to make it right. And since Jesus always wins, I always win… and winners are never irritable, self-conscious or grouchy. Winners are solid, confident and joyful – complete.
Thank You, Jesus, for the smeared eyeliner because it brought me closer to You.
-Betsy
Well said, Betsy. Needed this reminder.
This reminds me of a beautiful quote from the Dalai Lama:
“This is why we practice, for times like these when compassion is so necessary.” He didn’t nod in mutual disdain. He didn’t show any drama. He was soft and … practical.
This is why we practice.
For times like these.
You don’t need to forgive until you need to forgive. You don’t need nerves of steel until you need nerves of steel. You don’t need to call on your reserves of compassion, or fortitude, or faith until you’ve used up everything else.
This is why we practice.
This is why, even when life is ambling along nicely and there’s food in our spiritual cupboard, we still make sure that we get to yoga, or the reading group, or Sunday services.
*****
The small, everyday moments are our practice so that when we are called to action, we are ready.
You are so very ready for anything. And you haven’t needed eyeliner in 27 years 🙂