Veggie Tales anyone????

All this posting about what we've learned reminds me so much of the song that appeared at the end of every veggie tales episode, "What We Have Learned." It's a fun little ditty that prefaces the recap of the moral, or lesson the show presented.

So insert >song< here and then proceed with reading this post. :)

The past two months have been so full of new experiences that I can hardly sum what I've learned up into one thing. So I will give you a handful of the things that impacted me most this summer.

The first one is simple, in theory, but a lot harder to act out. Treat others as you would have them treat you. I can't even count the amount of churches we went into this summer that had it posted on the walls. It was staring us in the face the whole time, but like the ignorant people we are sometimes, we waltzed on by continuing to treat others differently from how we would like to be treated.

Secondly forgiveness is not forgiveness if you hold someone's wrong action against them. Forgiveness forgets and treats the person as if it never happen. We get so stuck on other people's mistakes sometimes, that we elevate ourselves above them, when in reality, we are the one making the mistake by making them seem inferior to ourselves, and not staying true to the forgiveness we gave.

Along with that, people are not perfect. Anyone who thinks that we are or can be is kidding themselves. Now this should not be used as a cop out for making mistakes, but presenting the expectation that we should be perfect in all we do, or thinking that we are perfect is very dangerous. It gives us the impression that we don't need help. Pride always comes before the fall. We are a sinful people, and recognizing that it is only by God's grace that we have any hope at all is a realization we all need to come to.

Another thing I have sort of "discovered" this summer is friendship. True friendship. I have never before experienced the sort of relationships that I've developed with people on the tour. I love them all dearly, and can't believe I missed out on this sort of thing for so long. It has become invaluable to me. They are my "family" of sorts, who will tell me when I"m being rediculous in a loving manner, let me cry my eyes out if I need to, and who I will have rediculous amounts of fun with. I wouldn't trade it for anything.

As I was contemplating what I was going to write in this entry yesterday, a question popped into my head. "Why do I do this every day?" "Why do I get up early, work long hours through intense heat, and hard labor, and still love it?" It makes no sense to other people. I hear people say all the time that they can't believe what we do every day. Sometimes I can't believe it myself. I get countless bruises and am tired and sore often. So what is it that makes it worth it?

For me the answer is simple. I have hope and joy in life. Hope and joy that is found in Jesus Christ my Savior. Other people don't have it, and if I can use theatre, which I love madly, to tell the story, of my Savior, who I also love madly. Why wouldn't I? I get to to do what I love every day, and see seeds get planted at every show. It's an incredible thing to watch. I just pray that some of the seeds which we have planted will fall on good soil, and produce much fruit.

Now this is not to say that discouragement doesn't come. It does. Discouragement and frustrations come constantly, but the fact that our work goes beyond the here and now always makes it worth it. I have purpose in life, and that makes it worth everything. I would do it again in a heartbeat.

In closing I would like to share with you all the words to a hymn that encouraged me a lot over the summer. It is called, "His Eye Is On The Sparrrow," and is sung by Selah: Accapela.

Why do I feel discourged
Why do the shadows come
And why does my heart feel lonely
And long for heaven and home
When Jesus is my portion
A constant friend is He
His eye is on the sparrow
And i know He watches me

So I sing because I'm happy
And I sing because I'm free
His eye is on the sparrow
And I know He watches me
So I sing because I'm happy
And I sing because I'm free
His eye is on the sparrow
And I know He watches
And I know He watches
And I know He watches me




That sums it all up for me. I sing because I'm happy. I sing because I'm free. His eye is on the sparrow, and I know he watches me.

-Abi