I think one of the best surprises when it comes to celebrities and concerts and all that, are backstage passes. I love watching vlogs, snaps and stories of what happens behind the scenes of a movie filming, backstage of an award show, passes to the makeup rooms and all that. Why? Because these things are for real. I love how before these people get up on stage, step into their character to film a scene, and be seen by us through the lens of TV and big screens, these moments are those raw moments where they just be them.
Once they are off stage, they freely jump up and down in excitement from winning their first award ever. They would express their frustration over the sound failures that happened during the performance. The ladies would probably take off their heels and rest for a minute or two before going back out into the crowd.
Backstage is where the real action happens.
Behind the scenes is where the real journey, the real hard work, the real emotions, the real effort, the real growing pains are exposed.
As I ponder on this random thought about backstage passes and behind the scenes footages, I found myself thinking about our own faith journey. How our roles in the society, our work and our ministries many times look like a stage. Areas where we just have to be what other people expect us to be. How other people expect us to look and what they expect us to achieve.
I don't think it's much different than the stage or the movies. And it's not so much about being fake either, but I find ourselves discouraged and bitter way too soon in the process. We just give up on God and give up on life because we but far too often we forget that the real deal is what happens after the show is over, before we even get to the venue, while we are in our own solitary spaces doing ordinary daily things.
The real deal happens behind the scenes.
The real deal is the faith journey.
The real deal is the growth process where God invites us to be honest with our struggles and come raw and bare before His presence.
The real deal is where we don't shy away from our doubts, but we cast our anxieties and uncertainties to God in surrender.
The real deal is the moments where we allow God to show us the areas of our lives that need shaping and pruning so we can become more like Him every single day.
The real deal is when we cry out in disappointments and heartbreaks, asking God why it has to happen the way it did.
The real deal is when we realize that the pain of life is real, and that living a life called bears such a high cost, and yet we push through anyway.
I believe that the backstage is where God speaks to us the most, works with and through us the most, and shapes us the most too. It is in the silence and the fervent prayers, one-on-one time with God. In the daily tension of running away from situations or facing them head on. And I think if we choose to remember that, the behind the scenes won't be as tiring and burning out as we thought it would be.
That the process can be as rewarding and worthwhile as the destination.
That the behind the scenes be as fun, memorable and meaningful as the movie we watch on the big screens.
So don't throw it all away now. You were sure of yourselves then. It's still a sure thing! But you need to stick it out, staying with God's plan so you'll be there for the promised completion.