Please Hear what I'm NOT Saying

Unmasking the silent cries beneath the surface

Sometimes words we speak are not the ones our hearts are truly longing to say. Charles C. Finn’s poem, written nearly sixty years ago, still echoes with piercing relevance today: the aching plea to be seen beyond the façade, to be held in the trembling spaces where masks are crafted out of fear, rejection, or shame.

I read these words and feel the resonance deep within — for most of my life I, too, have worn a mask to shield the fragile child within?🤔 How often have I smiled while secretly breaking, or spoken words that filled the silence but never touched the truth of what I longed to share? 🤔Masks can become heavy armour, but beneath them lies the desperate prayer: please hear what I’m not saying.

Click Image to Listen to the Poem

The beauty of our God is that He does not need us to pretend. He is the One who sees through every mask, who looks tenderly into our hearts and whispers, “You are worth My love.” His gaze is never followed by rejection, only acceptance and mercy.

📖 “For the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” — 1 Samuel 16:7 (NKJV)

In His presence, walls crumble. Fear loses its grip. Love has the power to call us into aliveness, just as Finn wrote, for perfect love breathes life into our weary souls. Holy Spirit is our Comforter, patiently removing the layers until we learn to live unveiled, with unveiled faces reflecting His glory.

📖 “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.” — 2 Corinthians 3:18 (NKJV)

Friend, perhaps today you feel the weight of your own masks. Perhaps you have grown so accustomed to hiding that even you have forgotten what your unmasked face looks like. There is no shame here, only an invitation. Jesus is gently calling, “Let Me see you as you are, and let Me love you there.” His love is not conditional on your performance, nor is His acceptance withdrawn when you stumble. He is faithful, steady, and strong enough to carry what you hide.

💡 Reflection: 

What “mask” do you find yourself putting on most often, and what would it look like to let Jesus hold you without it?🤔

🎨 Creative Prompt: 

Paint or draw a mask — then gently tear or paint over it with light, gold, or feathers, symbolising God’s love breaking through.

🙌A Prayer

Lord Jesus, thank You that You see beyond the masks we wear. Thank You that Your love pierces through our walls of fear, shame, and self-protection. Help us to surrender our hidden places to You, trusting that Your acceptance is secure. May Your perfect love cast out fear, so that we may live unveiled, free, and alive in You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

🌸 A Gentle Call to Action

If this reflection spoke to your heart, I invite you to take it deeper:

• Journal your thoughts and prayers as you process these truths.

• Explore my Devotional Collection for more writings that weave Scripture and creativity together.

• Visit my This is My Story page, where I share the deeper journey behind my art, writing, and ministry — a testimony of God’s restoring love in the broken places.

• Consider joining one of my Healing 💔heARTs💖 gatherings or paint parties, where we create, share, and heal together in God’s presence.

Your story matters. Your freedom matters. And most of all, you are deeply loved by the One who sets captives free.