12/07/2011
This past November, Western welcomed some its most talented to the stage in the fall production of "Madam's Been Murdered; Tea Will Be Late." Throughout this production students, friends, relatives, staff, and alum gathered to make the amazing possible and create something unique; a community, a family. As I reflect on this knowledge, I would like to share with you a glimpse, a taste of what we've been able to share.
Last year prayers were answered when a special individual joined our small theatre staff. We had been seeking an accompanist, a trial that I would not recommend even to my enemies, and we had repeatedly come up short. Few were willing, the few who were were unable, and I severly struggled to understand why God had chosen this challenge for this time, for me, for these students. In the meantime, a parent of a former student volunteered to help plunck out and play parts on the piano until such time as a suitable pianist could be acquired. This temporary volunteer seemed a lack-luster temporary alternative but little did I know how God was answering my prayers, my heart-felt concerns without my even uttering or understanding them.
When we found a pianist later in the season and the show was saved and all that's history but the unique portion of this story wasn't the pianist we found but the volunteer who stayed. Our volunteer, who had promised only to help us for a short time decided to stay and assist us beyond what we had asked. Soon she was a part of our crew, working with us and struggling for us and sharing our wonder together. She continued on after "State Fair" and the state of affair that was and walked with us through our first ever spring tour and stepped boldy into this Fall with us. We hadn't been watching and we didn't know but this woman, this mother, was loving us where we were and when we needed it. She chided us when we were out of line and and held us together when discouragement and disappointment threatened. This mother, this mom became for us the hands and feet of Christ. You see, we theatre crew are a mottly, battered bunch, all with our own scars and heartaches. We are a clan of misfits and oddballs who carry our hurts to the stage help forget them there. This mom became our healing, our belonging, our Mom. She did for us what the world couldn't provide, what our families couldn't always fulfill, a glimpse of what our God longs to provide for us; a home. That was my lofty goal once; to create theatre into a family, a haven, a safe place but I couldn't achieve it; I was incapable. But we have a great big God and He answers prayers, prayers we never knew we uttered. He answered mine. He answered ours. This woman, without pay or recompense, practiced a love on these students so Christ-like and so overwhelming that tears cannot restrain themselves. She is for them the truth and reality of what Western is and could be if more would heed Christ's call to love and live as he did.
I realized this this fall sitting around a table of tear-stained faces, strained with laughter and smiles and hearts overflowing with joy, friendship, and belonging. We had blinked and become a family sitting at His banquet table with the Mom He had given; the He ordained for us! Thank you, Lord loving us and for sending us someone to love us as only a mother can.
This article is not so much a thank you to Bobbi in fact I didn't even include her name (until now). This is truly a recap and a real insight into this fall's show. Ironically there was little mention of the show or students and I can understand why confusion would follow when the expectation may have been how great the show was. This is not that. You see, I feel that the focus to often is on just saying, "oh this was great," and overlook what God is doing. See, this year during the play God was working and that was the point of this article. God had provided someone to fulfill the needs of students and even some staff and he was truly working through this production, this person. I may not have made that clear enough but the point was that Western's REAL purpose is a CHRISTIAN education and that Christ was truly working this year was evidenced by this one person. This article is not about Bobbi. It is about what God has done for these kids and I would dare bet they would all agree. God, thru Bobbi, has shown that he cares for their smallest needs and that he longs to know them. This is the best recap for the show this fall. God was working and instead of focusing on what we accomplished and created on stage I shifted the focus to what God gave us and is revealing to us. He gave us a family. He made us into a family. That legacy is far stronger, more powerful, and longer lasting than anything I could have said or anything we did this year. It will last longer than memories of set-pieces, scripts, on-stage jokes and mix ups. Christ worked a wonder this year on stage at Western.
Matt Dengler, Theatre Coordinator
