MY BLOG POSTS

Several years ago, I directed my favorite musical, “The Wizard of Oz,” at my old school. I was so excited about this musical! But the part I always hate about directing is the casting. I hate posting that list, hate knowing some of the kids will be upset at not getting the roles they wanted.

The year of “The Wizard of Oz,” I had several girls who could have played an amazing Dorothy. The decision came down to two seniors: Angie and Janell. Both were great singers, great actresses, beautiful young women. Either would have been a fabulous choice. But I could only choose one.  After much thought and prayer and consulting with others, I decided to give the part to Janell. Angie was given the part of Glinda.

When I posted that list, I stood back and watched the kids come up to see what parts they got. My stomach was in knots when Angie and Janell walked up. I knew how much Angie wanted to play Dorothy. I was afraid she’d cry or get mad or storm off. But she didn’t do any of those things. Here’s what Angie did…

Angie looked at that cast list and then looked at Janell. Then Angie opened up her arms and pulled Janell into them and said, “Janell, you are my best friend in the whole world and you are going to be an amazing Dorothy. I am so proud of you!”

Angie was more gracious than many adults I know. Sure she was disappointed, sure she was tempted to storm off or get mad. But Angie loved Jesus, and she made knowing him and loving him a priority. So when she was faced with a disappointment, it was that love that came out. Angie knew that her inner character is far more important than anything else. She knew that loving others is far more freeing than loving yourself.

Angie taught me something that day that I hope I will never forget. She taught me how to deal with disappointment in a way that not only honors God, but also honors those around me. She demontrated selflessness and love to me and to everyone around her.

“By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:35

When my kids were younger, they were obsessed with the movie, “The Master of Disguise”. In this film, the title character is developing the “super” ability to disguise himself. 

It’s a funny film. Dana Carvey is brilliant at mimicking accents and mannerisms, and this movie shows off that talent. There are lots of quotable lines that my kids would repeat over and over. And over…

Their favorite line happened when Carvey’s character was learning to harness the power of “energico” so he could go beyond just wearing a costume and make-up. He repeated the mantra, “become another person” until he did. Pistachio Disguisey was replaced with whatever character he needed to become.

I was thinking of that this week because of all the focus on costumes. Dressing up can be very fun. But too many people wear more than just a costume or mask, and they wear it far longer than just one day a year.

Did you know the word “hypocrite” has its roots in dressing up? In ancient Greek theater, actors wore huge masks with different faces – happy, sad, frightened, surprised – because the audience was too far away to see their actual faces. The masks were larger than life and allowed the audience to know the “mood” of the characters on stage. These actors were hypocrites.

I think a lot of people – adults AND teens – walk around like these actors. We wear “masks”, acting like everything is fine, or awful, or terrible, or funny, or whatever. We don’t let anyone see what’s really going on. We’re not honest, not transparent. We work hard to “become another person,” mostly because we’re unhappy or embarrassed by the person we actually are.

We are hypocrites.

People get so worked up about Halloween – is it okay or not okay to dress up on this holiday? And I recognize that debate is a serious one for many people. But I think visible costumes one day a year are far less dangerous than the invisible ones we wear the other 364 days.

Beware of the temptation to “become another person.” That’s fine for film. But the abundant life demands that we shed our masks and be honest – honest to God, above all, and then honest to others.

“He who conceals his transgressions will not prosper, But he who confesses and forsakes them will find compassion.” ~Proverbs 28:13

Yesterday, several members of my daughter’s 11th grade class climbed a mountain.

CCA Class of 2017

They were on the mountain for almost 3 hours. They returned exhausted, a little bruised, and incredibly hungry. But they loved it. They bonded as a class. They watched the sun set from the summit. They returned with inside jokes and funny stories and huge smiles.

Emma’s classmates talked about how tough the climb up was, how they almost quit. It took much longer than they expected! And they said the hike down was difficult because they were so tired, and they had accomplished their goal (reaching the top), so the “thrill” was gone. Emma said they might have quit, if not for their hiking leader – a young man who had hiked this mountain before and encouraged them the climb was worth the effort. She said she’d never have done it alone, but with friends, it was actually fun.

I thought, “This is so much like the Christian life!” We are constantly “hiking”. Some of us are on the way up a mountain, some are on the summit, others are coming down off the mountain, and still others are returning to a particularly challenging mountain to guide others across.

“A cord of three strands is not easily broken”

While the climb isn’t always enjoyable, it IS worth it. But we can’t do it alone! We need guides who can tell us where to go, and we need friends to help us when we fall. Independence has its place, but not in the Christian life. We were created for fellowship, we are commanded to love each other and bear our brothers’ burdens.

Do you have “hiking buddies”? If not, why not?

“Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor. For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up.” ~ Ecc. 4:9-10