The Hands and Feet of Jesus

If you were here for my recent post explaining my absence, you may remember how I mentioned an incident that took place last year. I'm here to talk a bit more about that, and some important lessons I learnt from it. 

It was early 2022, and here in Australia, we still had some major after-effects from the mess that Covid had left behind. (And I'm not referring to anything to do with illness; I'm talking government power and mandates that prohibited one from freedoms that Australians used to enjoy.) 

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To set the scene, I need to go back another year. At the end of Anne of Green Gables, in 2021, the theatre company were excited at the success of that production and were debating which show to choose next. I decided to submit a suggestion, in case they thought it was a good fit. My favourite story, only in a tie with Anne of Green Gables, is Little Women, and my sisters and I had recently discovered the musical of it. It was perfect! (Also perfect because there is a mystery in most community theatres - the lack of males interested in theatre and the over-abundance of young, female performers.) After a long wait for license approval, the theatre company announced that the next show was going to be... Little Women the Musical! (This was after they hadn't done a musical for around a decade or so.) We were thrilled! Even our beloved directors were returning just for this show! And yet, like a curse, on that same day they announced the show, the government announced restrictions for certain Australian individuals who did not choose to have a particular injection. All forms of entertainment, including theatre, was out of bounds, and those particular people were banned from all such places. That included myself and my family. This was just in the lead up to Christmas, and to my 21st birthday; I couldn't even go out to celebrate in the way I had been hoping. That was a heavy time, and I regret to say more tears than laughter took place over that holiday season. 

With the start of 2022, the auditions, casting and rehearsals took place for Little Women, as planned... without us. And then, several months later, the government decided to roll back the mandates. But the show was already cast and underway. We were faced with the decision; did we want to help out back stage for this show we had dreamed of being in, or were we too hurt from the experience to be a part of the show that we had originally suggested and been so excited for?

It didn't even take us a day to decide; we knew that once the mandates were rolled back, we would be chasing every opportunity that went our way. So one of my sisters and myself (and later two other of our siblings) volunteered our time to be part of the tech/crew for this show. My sister was taught the lighting board, and I chose the spotlight. To be honest, I mostly chose the spotlight for the symbolism is was to me. A lot of prayer went into that season of waiting, and I knew there was a lesson (or two) to learn here. I wanted God to give me the grace and humility to celebrate and champion others, even if I couldn't myself participate. And I knew there was a beauty to shining the spotlight - literally - on others, even while I was desperately aching to be a part of it.

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I remember there was one phrase that kept running over and over in my mind, during that season. And it was: "God, in this moment, how can I be like Jesus? Like His hands, like His feet?" It's a powerful question. You can't just "make" yourself have a servant heart, or will yourself into humility. It was a continual prayer for grace, for knowing what grace would look like in that moment. The image of God washing his disciples' feet kept playing in my mind. It helped my heart know where to look. So I shone the spotlight on those performers who were carrying out the story on stage in front of me; the story I had known and loved all my life. I worked with my sister to mic all the main performers, and help change the batteries and ensure they were all running smoothly. From being the lead performer in the last show, to literally buttoning up another actor's dress and helping them with their mic, I knew God was working in my heart, and teaching me a lesson. (So be careful what you pray for, friends! If you pray for more grace and humility, God is listening. ;) But He answers in such beautiful, powerful ways.)

I will also add, you may think it was an easy transition for us to help with tech, and everything worked out sweetly for us. But real life often doesn't pan out in such a linear way. We had some unpleasant experiences during that time, and there was some drama happening behind our backs that really hurt. I did cry on multiple occasions, wondering how different things could have been, and what I could have experienced if things had worked out the way I'd dreamed. But ultimately, I kept repeating that same prayer over and over, "what does it look like to be the hands and feet of Jesus in this moment?". And He graciously, patiently, showed me.

And you know what? It's actually really hard to throw a pity-party for yourself when you are celebrating your friends' successes and are genuinely happy to see them do so well! So make sure you cheer on your friends and the people who deserve the applause - it not only encourages them, it actually helps you, too. 

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On top of the lesson in humility and grace, there were several others that I learnt during that season. It was a great reminder of doing the best with whatever you are given. I told myself I would be the best spot-lighter there ever was! (No joke, I legit was so determined, haha. I had a lot of notes about the best/most artistic choices for each scene. I wanted to discover how to add more beauty and depth to the show, in ways I'd never thought of before.) I realized how much work went into the background things, so that next time I got up onstage as a performer, I could appreciate all of the tech and crew who were working so hard to let me shine onstage. 

So I challenge you. Anyone, but especially the person who is struggling with the experience of rejection and frustration (a common occurrence when you're trying to worm your way into theatre!). Don't let yourself sit in disappointment and frustration. Use that fire within you to push you forward. Challenge yourself by learning a new skill, try a fresh perspective (which I did by literally watching the show from a different perspective!), and don't let bitterness ruin your ability to appreciate beauty, and encourage others. It may not be the easiest path, but the most important lessons are never the easiest ones. We always have a choice. Choose to celebrate others. Choose to not be controlled by the bitterness or sadness that threatens, but move towards patience and hope. Choose to be the hands and feet of Jesus.

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