The Facemask

Yesterday's Facebook throwback photo caught me by surprise. It was a photo of my son wearing a facemask during the worst of the haze problem last year. For a moment I thought it was a picture of me. Although I have done very well in not letting the facemask bother me, there were a few occasions when I felt a bit indignant.

I have this urge to reassure people around me that I don't have a bug and they don't have to feel uncomfortable. When I meet someone for the first time, I am never quite sure if I should extend my handshake because it may put the other person in an awkward position having to shake my hand if they thought I have a bug. I keep reminding myself that I am over-thinking.

Curious kids tend to think I look cool and special with the mask on so I wink at them. The lady from the laundry service who collects my working shirts from the office every Wednesday wonders why I am always wearing a mask. Recently she asked me about it but I don't think she understood my response because she was busy writing out the collection slip and I was brief with my explanation. I did a better job explaining it to the office cleaner even though I spoke in broken Chinese. She wasn't convinced at first and thought I was pulling her leg. When she accepted that I wasn't kidding, she asked me to eat more broccoli. 

I am okay most of the time but seeing that photo of my son was like being a third person looking at myself. For a moment I felt self-pity and I asked myself "Oh my, how did this happen to you?" Maybe it is the same question I would ask if were to look at myself in the mirror in my old age. The sense that this wasn't supposed to happen. Today, as I reflected on this again, I realised that God too sees a likeness of himself wearing a mask when He looks at me. I am reminded that we are all created in His image. I am reminded that that is the reason He had to redeem us by His blood - we were His children from the beginning. I am reminded that my Father watches over me.


I lift up my eyes to the mountains -
  where does my help come from? 
My help comes from the Lord , 
  the Maker of heaven and earth. 

He will not let your foot slip -
  he who watches over you will not slumber; 
indeed, he who watches over Israel 
  will neither slumber nor sleep. 

The Lord watches over you - 
  the Lord is your shade at your right hand; 
the sun will not harm you by day, 
  nor the moon by night. 

The Lord will keep you from all harm- 
  he will watch over your life; 
the Lord will watch over your coming and going
  both now and forevermore.

~ Psalm 121