Tip of My Iceberg

When you gather a troupe of young people creating a production with drama, humor, singing, and dancing, you’re transported to another time, another era with a significant amount of fun and frivolity.

Isley has been passionate about theater for the past seven years, beginning when she was in first grade acting in the production of “Winnie the Pooh”. As a proud Nana, I was impressed that she could get up before so many people, sing and dance with passion, and keep a smile on her face. She wasn’t as confident back then. She’d check around at the others, correcting her moves, keeping in sync.

The more productions she’s been involved with, the greater her confidence has become. We learned that she has incredible comedic timing when she was the lead in “Mysterious Murder at Manchester Manor”, a funky whodunit where she was forced to ad lib when props weren’t where they should have been. Her ability to improvise on the spot had the whole theater in stitches.

I’ve been impressed for years at Isley’s ability to embody a character, to become someone she’s not, to play through another’s life as if it were her own.

Play acting.

What works in theater doesn’t translate to life. When people try to be something or present themselves as someone they’re not, they confuse themselves and others. But the desire to be seen and known is so strong that too often we settle for being known for something we’re not. We create an image on social media that speaks to the person we choose to be, not who we really are.

Samuel, when he was going to anoint a new king in Israel, denied a father’s belief that his oldest, strongest, and best looking was the obvious choice.

“But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.’” 1 Samuel 16:7

We’re so quick to judge others by what we think we see, what we assume we know. Making the time to know a person’s heart takes effort and intentionality. Sadly, too many of us won’t make that investment to really know someone.

God’s encouragement to us comes through Paul.

“Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” Romans 12:2

Why would anyone want to know God’s will for them?

We’ve each been created by Him in love with a purpose. After all, the one who invents a machine is intimately aware of the best way it will work. God, who designed us with emotions, intellect, and will, knows what we need better than we do. He longs to walk with us in partnership through this journey of life to give us His strength and wisdom.

Isley and her friends put on a spectacular production of “Crazy for You”, taking us back to the 1930s when people were dealing with the Depression and working hard to find lightness in a tough time. When the play was over, they walked away from their parts, laughing and enjoying what they’d accomplished.

We can’t walk away from who we really are. We each have a story, and we’re each created as unique characters. Only God can coauthor your story in a way that works best.

His story for each of us is incredible and worth experiencing.

The challenge?

Invite Him in to who you are and let Him reveal to you all you can be in Him.