June 6, 2011
“The blacker the berry the sweeter the juice, I can say it ain’t so, but darlin’ what’s the use. The darker the chocolate the richer the taste – that’s where it’s at. Run and tell that!”
There was our son Benjamin, as the lead black teen “Seaweed” in his high school musical “Hairspray”, dancing and singing up a storm at the Rotary Center for the Arts. He gave it everything he had: spinning, twisting, jumping and jiving leading the rest of the cast and the crowd in a musical extravaganza we will not soon forget. The packed house went crazy at the culmination of his high energy, heart pounding, foot tapping anthem. Wow – I caught a glimpse of his glory in a very profound fashion.
David crooned himself into the hearts of the audience playing Corny Collins – the flashy host of the teen dance show “The Corny Collins Show”. His strong stage presence, bold singing and acting – coupled with his brilliant, bright smile – also won the hearts of the audience in a grand way. For five nights our sons, with a cast and crew of well over 100 teens, performed their hearts out to packed houses on center stage. It was an incredible spectacle. Family, friends, teachers, students, former students, administration, the media and general public all thrilled at the caliber of this production.
At the conclusion of this incredible week we hosted a cast party for all the cast, crew and musicians at our home. We stripped it down turning our living room into a big dance floor and “bomb proofed” the rest of the house to accommodate 110 excited and emotional young people. We had a total blast! We all celebrated a hugely successful production and relational bonding amongst great kids from grades 8-12. I can’t say enough about what a phenomenal experience this was for all involved. We all reveled in the moment, savoring the accomplishments of these young people who had been rehearsing long and hard for over 6 months. I was so proud of all the students who gave it everything they had, but I was particularly proud of our sons – in our eyes they stole the show.
I was grinning like a Cheshire cat every night as I watched our sons live in their God-given glory. Are they called to be Broadway performers? Probably not. However, they gave away some of their God-given talents in a way that brought joy and life to thousands. They worked hard for countless hours over many months to hone their gifts and abilities so that the gift they gave to the audiences was excellent. I believe that as best they know how they were doing this as an act of worship. They recognize who they are and what they are able to do is all from God. I couldn’t have been more proud of them. I simply drank in this new found glory they were living in and the impact they were having on others.
I believe what I was experiencing is a little glimpse into God’s hear toward us. He delights in us. He is so proud of us – to call us sons, and to have us call him Father. Too many of us believe that God’s overriding feeling toward us is disappointment. We are always falling short. Oh sure, there are times when He is proud of us and overflowing with love, but for the most part He is disappointed. We are never quite good enough. This is not true! Our Father delights in us and is so proud of us. Yes, we drop the ball sometimes and mess us, but when He looks at us He sees Jesus in us. His overriding emotion toward us is not disappointment – it’s love.
He has uniquely deposited gifts, abilities, desires, talents and Himself in each one of us – our special God-given glory – that He loves to see us step into and give away to others. He can’t love us any more than He already does. And, He continues to invite us deeper into all that is in His heart for us and through us.
God loves you and delights in you like a proud father rejoices over His sons. Run and tell that!
Zephaniah 3:17
“He takes great delight in you. He rejoices over you with singing.”