We Did It!

There are few things in life that are more fulfilling than having a successful result from a collaborative effort. Obviously, I am bragging a little bit about our recent musical performance of Diamonds at the Cross, but it’s also true for any group effort. When we did our first read through of the play, the first Sunday in March, it was all new, exciting, and intimidating to everyone hearing it for the first time. In my head, I could already see how it would look on stage, but to everyone else, it was muddy water that was a long way from becoming clear. That next week we began our rehearsals and from that point on it was a matter of learning, staging, practicing, polishing, and piecing together until it became a great story, production, and play! I can hear the quote from the old A-Team show, “I love it when a plan comes together!” I especially love it when it involves team work, dedication, and focus. That is why it is so satisfying to enjoy a job well done. Everyone helped, everyone worked hard, everyone prayed, and everyone contributed to the larger goal of having a wonderful production that thrilled three full-house audiences. It was a job well done, but most of all, it was a job we did TOGETHER – with God’s help!

Yes, I am doing a little bit of bragging about my cast and crew, but I really am using it as an example of the blessing that comes from a shared mission. We got to share the story of Jesus with a lot of people over three nights. It took a lot of hard work and commitment from all of us, and as a result of that shared effort, I know and love each of them a lot more. We shared a great experience that brought us closer to one another and to God. That is what church does! Church is a body of believers working together to grow in love for one another and for God! The greater the shared effort, the greater the shared love. It’s ironic to me that the theme of our play was God changing people from dust to diamonds, and that is exactly what He did for all of us through the shared experience of our musical. He turned a idea on a script into a beautiful story that touched all of us who performed it, and everyone who got to see it. We all need shared experiences in the Body of Christ. Sure, the assembly can and should be a shared experience, but it’s also not where relationships are built. It encourages and supports relationships, but relationships take time, effort, and memories. Don’t pass up the opportunity to be part of an effort that will allow you to share and build relationships with others. Like I said at the beginning, there is nothing more fulfilling than working together on something worthwhile and seeing it be successful. It’s part of what it takes to go from dust to diamonds.