The Follower of God who Happens to Really Love Theatre

I started doing theatre in middle school, but I had been forcing my cousins and siblings to put on performances with me and daydreaming about performing for years.  It was in middle school that I started doing "real shows" though, and I never looked back.  Except I did.  I looked back a lot, because I was constantly being "warned" about the people in theatre and the arts.  Many well-meaning Christian friends and mentors told me all about how there weren't many Christians in the industry, and how there were a lot of "lost people."  Well, newsflash, there are a lot of "lost people" in every industry.  That being said, I continued to do theatre, and as I got deeper and deeper into this hobby of mine, I found a passion for the arts and arts education and a deep love for the people involved in them.

I loved God, but my life was becoming rooted in the arts.  I was sick and tired of people judging me for my passions and telling me not to pursue them in college.  My plan was to go to school and major in Arts Administration.  I got a lot of strange stares, a lot of kind words about how that industry needed lights for Jesus there, and a lot of "you're wasting your time and talent for a degree that won't get you anywhere."  People didn't get it.

What they didn't know was my story.  That in middle school, I cried every morning because I hated school.  I cried every time my family visited a new church because I felt so alone everywhere we went and just wanted to go to my home church with my friends, now lost.  I felt so alone.  Then God stuck theatre in my life, and I found a community who loved me.  I believe 100% that God uses non-believers to work his plan, because there is no doubt in my mind that theatre and music were put in my life by Him to impact me and allow me an outlet to express my joy and love for Him...and rediscover that in the process.  The arts were my passion, and I was being told that they were this super dark, scary place where God was not.

So, I went into college, chasing my dreams of working in the arts, but unsure of how my faith fit.  No one wanted to shed any light on that.  Probably because no one knew how to.  But this semester, God has come in and redefined what I'm doing and taught me some things about where my passions fit His plans.  Because here's the thing--I don't think God would give me a passion that's outside of  His will.  I've really grown in my faith over the last few months and fixed something.  I no longer love God but have a life rooted in the arts...I love the arts and my life is rooted in God.

Many well-meaning people had made it seem that working in the arts and living for Jesus were two things that didn't fit together, making theatre out to be this dark, dark world where there was no hope.  Well, Jesus is hope, and He is with me, even in theatre...even in the other arts...even if I decide to go into more TV/media/entertainment.  I will admit, I see and recognize that many people in my career field don't have the same morals and beliefs as me and sometimes that is difficult, but I have the greatest amount of love and respect for these people.  Theatre people are extremely respectful towards me and my beliefs, because I am the same towards them...I have never felt attacked or pressured to believe anything differently, and  I love people in the arts.  I love people who love Jesus too.

So many Christians seems to fear the field I have surrounded myself with.  People seem to want to run the opposite direction.  But I have a passion for the arts and a heart full of love for the people in the arts.  I don't have any reason to believe that was a coincidence.  I 100% believe that if "there are very few Christians in the lost world that your field is" that is all the more reason for me to be there.  Who is reaching those people?  Who is being Jesus?  I'm not here to shove things down anyone's throat, but I am here to love like Jesus while doing what I love.  And I am totally on board with that plan, and I'm really thankful that God has started to show me what that looks like.

So, to all the people who warned me against doing what I'm doing (whether it be because of the jobs I will get/money I will make or the lack of Christians in the field)...thank you for your concern, because I truly know you say what you say because you care.  But also, this is me telling you that God is going to use my passions for His glory and to change the world for Him, just as He uses yours.  And I can't wait to see what He does, and I hope you feel the same way.

Love,

The follower of God who happens to really love theatre

Never Forget

I've been debating what my next post should be.  I've done a lot in the first few weeks at college--there's a lot I could write about, but I haven't felt inspired to write any of those posts...yet...they are coming.  However, on today, September 11, 2015, I wanted to take a brief moment to reflect on the tragedy that occurred on this day 14 years ago.

I don't remember what I was doing.  I do remember watching the news.  I remember the sadness in the air...the atmosphere was full of sadness and brokenness as the air was full of smoke.  I remember drawing a picture of what I was seeing--trying to use art to comprehend in my four year old brain what had taken place.

My heart hurts even today for everyone affected by the attack on 9/11...it always will.  That day will remain one in history that scars our nation.  It cut deep, but the love and community ran deeper.  The beauty on this day is the way people came together--all people.  There were no stereotypes, no labels--we were human, united in our love for each other and the nation we call home.  There was love.  There was community.

I am reminded on this day of a song that we have been singing at Christian Student Fellowship at my university.  The words, sung out loudly by hundreds upon hundreds of college students, tell this story: "I've seen many searching for answers far and wide, but I know we're all searching for answers only you provide, because you know just what we need before we say a word.  You're a good, good Father.  It's who You are; it's who You are.  And I'm loved by You.  It's who I am; it's who I am.  You are perfect in all of Your ways."

He is good.  His ways are perfect--all of them.  He knows what we need before we say a word.  How beautiful is that?  We are each loved so much by him.  We are loved, and every person affected by the tragedy of 9/11 is loved.  That is clear, and we should strive to make it known.  The love shown in our nation towards one another on September 11, 2001 should be shown on September 11, 2015 and every day in between and hereafter.  Love that comes from knowing He is a good, good Father that loves us.  His promises are good.  His promises are true.

Never Forget.

Friendship Heals

While the Wizard of Oz has been over for a few weeks in my life, it is a classic film that almost everyone knows, and I did a lot of deep thinking about the character relations within it.  These are not only relevant, but I think the relationships are very intriguing for anyone who loves the movie, so I thought I'd share.

Toto

Toto may be a dog, but he is certainly Dorothy's best friend, not an inanimate object.  The fact of the matter is that while the other characters are, in essence, with Dorothy the whole time, Toto is never-changing.  Toto is the one who goes through the entire journey.  Toto is the reason things happen.  He brings the friends to rescue Dorothy.  He discovers the wizard.  Toto matters.  Toto is the best friend we all want.  He is the prime example of man's best friend--looking out for what Dorothy wants and never leaving her side except to save her.

Bel Canto Photography

Scarecrow

Scarecrow is so dear to Dorothy because, in Oz, he is the only one there the whole time. Despite his lack of brains, he knows what to do in every situation.  He is there when Dorothy meets each of the other friends, and their friendship's longevity is what makes it so incredibly crucial.  When saying goodbye, Dorothy says, "Scarecrow.  You were my first friend here.  I think maybe I'll miss you most of all."  They are best friends from the moment they meet, and their special friendship is so valuable and crucial to why Dorothy can continue on her journey...she has someone by her side.

Tin Man

I think Dorothy feels the need to help Tin Man even more than the others perhaps, because while the farmhands that are Scarecrow and Lion just don't have a brain and courage, Dorothy's harsh words are what leads Tin Man's farmhand to say at the start of the show, "Don't say that, Dorothy.  You make me feel terrible inside, like my heart was torn out."  Unlike with the others, she is the reason he is lacking.  While in reality, Tin Man has a huge heart, full of love for Dorothy and the friends, Dorothy feels the need to help him due to the past life in her subconscious.  The love Tin Man is full of makes his friendship so important to Dorothy.

Lion

Last, but certainly not least, is the sweet Lion.  I think the bond that exists between him and Dorothy is so strong because of the way they look out for each other.  While the other friends are more independent, Dorothy has to look out for the Lion more and make sure he is tagging along and keeping up as much courage as possible.  Despite his lack of courage, Lion begins to look out for Dorothy as well, showing just how deep their friendship is.  I personally connected to Lion because I often lack courage and am filled with anxiety.  The lesson is that friendship helps heal that.

Friendship Heals

Friendship heals the Lion.  The friends help him gain courage.  Friendship heals the Tin Man. The friends help him gain a heart.  Friendship heals the Scarecrow.  The friends help him gain a brain.  And friendship heals Dorothy.  The friends help her gain a home.

Sometimes my brain doesn't work and I get filled with fear and a lack of courage, making it hard to love/feel loved.  However, this summer (and throughout my life in general), friendship healed that.  Friendship gives me a head full of the knowledge that I matter--that I do have the courage I need to get through life.  Friendship gives me people to love with everything in me, and feel that love in return.  Friendship gives me a home.  God has done the same thing, for I am a friend of God.  And I am beyond grateful that He placed friends in my life this summer and through my life in theatre and school.  As college nears, and my friends begin to part ways, I am grateful.  Friendship heals.

Reminder Close to Me

If you run into me on the street, I look like a somewhat average teenage girl--probably one on the "artsy" side, but average nonetheless.  You might notice the two bracelets that I have recently been wearing on my left wrist, but probably wouldn't think anything of them.  They look normal enough.  However, they hold a deeper meaning to me that you would never get from passing me on the street.

The first bracelet is a Lokai Bracelet.  I got it as a gift and was a bit taken aback by the message it held with it--"find your balance"--thinking that it might be something spiritual, which as a Christian, I feel I need to be careful with.  However, I researched the bracelet, and found this description:

"Each lokai is infused with elements from the highest and lowest points on Earth. The bracelet’s white bead carries water from Mt. Everest, and its black bead contains mud from the Dead Sea. These extreme elements are a reminder to the wearer to live a balanced life – staying humble during life’s peaks and hopeful during its lows."

(Taken from the Lokai Bracelet website)

I liked the concept of it.  After an emotional roller coaster of a senior year, I found the highs and lows of life to be true, and as someone who is often filled with anxiety and worrying, the bracelet became a reminder to me that there are highs, lows, and days in between, but that God is with me through it all.  I like that reminder close to me, on my wrist.

The other bracelet is one that I made out of that friendship bracelet string that we all used forever ago to make bracelets for one another.  If you read my previous posts, you know that I recently was in The Wizard of Oz.  This bracelet is yellowish orange to represent the yellow brick road, and the beads represent the friends Dorothy makes along the way--Toto, Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Lion.  However, the bracelet to me signifies so much more than that.  It represents the yellow brick road I'm travelling--life--and serves as a reminder that I never travel alone on the road of life, but that I have so many friends that I will always carry with me in my heart.  I like that reminder close to me, on my wrist.

I'm not the type of person to get a tattoo, but I imagine that they are to their owners as my bracelets are to me--reminders that I can easily see that emphasize the life I'm blessed with living, the people I'm blessed to have beside me, and the God I'm blessed to serve.

Loving Charleston

All that seems to be on the news lately are stories about destruction of communities and the lives of people within them, with the most recent being the story of the shooting that took the lives of nine church-goers in Charleston, South Carolina.  The world we live in is one full of evil.  However, I struggle with many of the responses to these tragedies.  While the crimes committed are absolutely full of hate, many of the responses are full of the same.  I feel that all I see in response is people pointing fingers at one another, debating where the crimes originated from, who did what to whom, what the overall trends are around the country, how we are spiraling into a world of destruction, and so on and so on.  While I 100% believe that these issues should be addressed to make progress as a society, I question whether in the immediate days following such tragedy should be so full of this.  All of the debate leads to absolute chaos, primarily on the internet, full of people then pointing fingers at not only those involved in the crime, but also "friends" and "followers" with differing opinions.

While the rest of the country appears to be dividing in political opinions and hate, Charleston appears to be uniting in loss, but more importantly...in love.  The words of forgiveness and hope spoken from the families of the victims reflect the God we serve.  In a time when they could choose to show hatred and anger, they are extending forgiveness and love, because they recognize that hate will not win.  Ever.  To me, this demonstrates what I fail to see in many Christians...peace.  We often talk about how God holds the future and because of this we should have absolute peace.  Why don't we then live like that?  I hear so often Christians say this and turn around and freak out over how the world is headed into such destruction and corruption and how horrific it is and so on and so on.  God has it.  Yes, this world is so very full of evil...so full.  But instead of worrying about the world that God holds in His hands, why don't we focus on extending love and forgiveness to that world.  The world is so messed up because there is a lack of love--God's love.  Yet I have hope, because there are people like those in Charleston that are living a life of love, knowing that God holds yesterday, today, and tomorrow.  His plans are greater than anything we can dream.  So instead of debating and becoming hateful over opinions about Charleston, or any other crime that raises it's head, let us do what those in Charleston are doing--let us love.  Let us pray.  Let us do what Marcus Stanley did in his comment on Dylann Roof's Facebook--let us share the forgiveness and hope of Jesus...with everyone.  Let us love like that--loving everyone, no matter who they are, what they look like, what they have done, or where they have been.  For, as Charleston is showing us, love--God's love--will always triumph.  Always.