If you’re like me, you love to look into people’s faces. Family, friends, strangers, no matter whose face you look into, they all paint some sort of picture. It’s actually the most beautiful piece of art there is on planet earth. Each face is completed by The Master Artist. Each one bears its own unique details. What’s even more fascinating is that these pieces of art are alive – they grow, change, and mature over time.
For centuries, the finest artists have tried to capture something of this wonder on canvas. Perhaps the most notable is the Mona Lisa, painted by Leonardo da Vinci. The piece now hangs in the Louvre Museum in Paris and is worth nearly one billion U.S. dollars. It’s secured behind bulletproof glass and guarded constantly due to multiple attempts at vandalism and theft. This year it was even announced that, after renovations at the Louvre, the Mona Lisa will have its own exhibition space and private entrance for viewing.
And all this for a 30” x 21” oil painting on a poplar wood panel. This is impressive! And begs the question, why is this painting worth so much? Judging by the many blogs and webpages, apparently, this is a question many others have asked as well. One strong thread in the answers is the word mystery. Not only is the reason for its worth mysterious, but many believe the worth is in the mystery that is found in the painting itself, her eyes, her expression, and her quiet smile. Who is she looking at? What is she thinking? Who is she? What emotions lie hidden behind her enigmatic expression?
The expertise in those brushstrokes is so exceptional that many say it is nothing less than alive. It’s attractive because it’s an excellent reflection of the detail and mystery found in the faces of living people.
Every day, we are surrounded by faces. Each person who reads this has one. I believe our faces are part of our representations of the Imago Dei – the Image of God. More than that, our faces can tell the story of our hearts. Man is not able to see into the heart; God does. We are designed to express on the outside what is inside. (1 Samuel 16:7) You have probably heard the expression, “The eyes are windows into the soul.” This is true; it is much harder for the eyes to lie, even when the face is expressionless. Our eyes can speak volumes. But for the sake of this post, I’m expanding this, because I believe the face with all its expressions can tell a greater story than just the eyes if we allow it to.
As I write this, I’m sitting in a coffee shop in my local town. I’m surrounded by faces. Sometimes I stop and take a quiet look at them. I see a face with an intent expression focused on a laptop, perhaps finishing some work. Next to me sits a pastor, with a pleasant face studying for his Sunday sermon. Across the room, a sad face stares into a phone. At another table are happy, carefree faces laughing with friends. There are thoughtful faces, lined with concern and intensity, as they do business together.
These faces give me small glimpses into their hearts. But even as I try to read them, I’m reminded that faces change. This is only one moment in time. What will these faces look like when they go home? Will the happy faces turn sad? Will the professional faces show despair? Will the anxious faces find peace?
I’m thankful I don’t have to judge someone by their face, but that doesn’t stop me from studying them. In life, as I watch the faces of those I know and work with, I start to understand more of what’s happening inside them. Our faces are central to our expression. We communicate constantly through them, resting or engaged. Our faces, in a way, are the most important part of our physical identity. If you don’t believe me, try getting away with robbing a bank or committing some other crime (please don’t), without covering your face. Your face is how you would be identified as the person of interest. Our face is also how we recognize each other or begin to relate to a stranger. It’s no wonder Americans spend around eight billion dollars a year on their faces, trying to present themselves better to the world.
But what I’m most interested in is the face at the moment it represents the heart. For the past seven years, as I’ve sat with people and in public, their faces often represent who they want to be, but in the counseling room, or in private, they show who they really are with all the brokenness, grief, anger, fear, guilt, and shame they carry.
Sometimes I see people in this coffee shop and wonder if their faces are showing a glimpse of their true heart. Like the young woman sitting fifteen feet in front of me. She looks to be about twenty-five. She’s ordered some drinks and food and is fully absorbed in her device, letting the time slip by. Her face looks hardened, maybe even creased with a layer of sadness, mixed with boredom or disinterest. Like if asked questions, she may reveal she’s bearing some pain. Every now and then, a hint of a smile breaks through, as something on the screen stirs a brief spark of joy.
Now, I may have misrepresented her completely. Her face might not reflect her heart at all. That’s part of the mystery. But if it does, and there are many times our faces do reflect our heart, I can’t help but think how much Jesus would love to meet her there to transform that hidden pain into beauty, to make her face shine with His radiance. (Ezekiel 36:26)
So why am I writing all this? Because I believe this is what member care is really about.
Life can be hard. Mission work can make it even harder. I’ve seen workers head to the field with a light heart and a smile, only to return burdened and weary, holding back tears. The face isn’t the problem, but it tells a story. A story of battles won and lost, of hours labored without fruit, of trials, temptations, losses, and barriers.
I’ve heard the cries of mothers and fathers, husbands and wives, children and friends. I’ve asked myself some of the same questions in our own short-term domestic mission work. Does ministry have to change a person so much? Why are attrition rates so high among missionaries? Why does it seem that so often children and marriages are hurt by the difficulty of ministry? Are we doomed to burnout or depression after spending years on the field?
These are heavy questions. And their weight is often written on the faces of those who serve.
Even the best Member Care Department in an organization or ministry can’t prevent the hardships of life. But our goal is to serve by helping prevent unnecessary wounds; to provide counsel, resources, and training to prepare and support our workers; and to offer care in times of crisis.
Wherever someone serves, there’s usually a project, a term, or an objective. But our goal shouldn’t only be to complete the project. It should be to finish with excellence. To come home healthy – spiritually, emotionally, and relationally. Not burned out, broken, or undone. At All-Nations, our desire is to see members thrive, not just survive.
Think about your face for a second. What does it show today? I’m not talking about the face you may normally show to others, but the face that represents your true heart. Maybe take a moment to look at your spouse’s face, or your child’s. What do you see? Is there hurt, fear, guilt, or pain? I hope you see joy, love, peace, and clarity, but if not, remember that the face is just a reflection of a deeper story.
The goal isn’t to just be happy. Life will shift and shake that often. But it makes a remarkable difference in the outcome, the healthier we are, and how we choose to process these challenges.
At All-Nations, we’re on a mission to care for and serve our members – to help them serve well, finish strong, and thrive in the places God has called them. God cares about what you are doing; he sees and will not ignore your burdens.
Isaiah 58:10-12 NKJV
If you extend your soul to the hungry
And satisfy the afflicted soul,
Then your light shall dawn in the darkness,
And your darkness shall be as the noonday.
The LORD will guide you continually,
And satisfy your soul in drought,
And strengthen your bones;
You shall be like a watered garden,
And like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.
Those from among you
Shall build the old waste places;
You shall raise up the foundations of many generations;
And you shall be called the Repairer of the Breach, The Restorer of Streets to Dwell In.
— Mason Gordon, Member Care Specialist