Behind the Scenes

As I have mentioned, we are fully involved with our church Passion Project, A Place Called Hope. I've been helping backstage, something that I've never done before. I've been to many plays and musicals, and watching what is happening onstage, how put together everything is, how it all flows, I never knew just how hectic and busy the backstage was. The audience never sees that part. We just see the "perfection" of the performance. Not until this week, did I realize what goes on backstage. People scurrying to get to their next scene, directors looking for cast members and props, etc. The first night of dress rehearsal, I brought my script, expecting to be able to follow along backstage and wait for my Justin to come off stage, or know when to get him for his next scene. The only thing I didn't anticipate, is that the area just off stage is dark. I couldn't see a thing. I found myself using my phone as a light. I'm also helping with several of the other children in the performance, and keeping up with a group of kids, in the dark, when I have to be completely silent, is no easy feat. But anyone watching the rehearsal probably had no idea of the hustle and bustle backstage.

Isn't life that way sometimes? On the outside, what the world sees in me, can be very different from what is going on on the inside. I might be very confident, peaceful and contented on the outside, but on the inside I can be dealing with insecurity, feelings of failure, sadness, any number of things I don't want others to know about. Do I let those things fester and grow, or do I give them to God and let Him walk me through it? Sometimes it means sharing a bit of that with a friend. And not becoming comfortable with the darkness. Right now, when I'm backstage in the dark, and I move to a lighted room, I feel a sense of relief. But I'm sure, the more time I spend the darkness off stage, I will become used to it. That is good when helping with a production, not so good when the darkness is in my own life. Becoming to comfortable with that kind of darkness, makes it much more difficult to accept the light that God wants us to have. But He is right there, reaching out to us. Won't you reach back?