One year ago, “On Eagles’ Wings” came to the stage. I have such great joy in my heart when thinking of all that Yehovah did to give us that opportunity. He truly gives great delights to His children.
But I think of more than just fun and warm feelings when thinking of that day. I think of all that Yehovah taught me. The experience was full of learning opportunities, and He is the best teacher ever.
He taught me that rewarding and wonderful things in life come with more work than I’d ever imagine. I knew that making a musical wouldn’t be easy, but I had no idea of all that it would entail. Preparations for the musical became a full-time job. I couldn’t have done it without Yehovah.
He taught me that when He gives someone a mission, he will give that person all that they need for it. When it appeared that producing a musical was nothing but a silly dream, He wouldn’t let me give up. Yehovah surrounded me with wonderful people, some of whom I’d never met before, who shared their time, items, expertise, and encouragement. My family and the cast members were incredible, spending hours on the music, set, and practices. It was awesome to see. As Psalm 34 says, we lacked not any thing. Every prop and costume we needed, Yehovah gave us.
He taught me that there is nothing comparable to being His vessel. I hope that every one of Yehovah’s children could know what it feels like to be commissioned by the King of the universe to complete a certain project. It gives you a sense of dignity that is priceless. It is an honor to be His servant. If you’ve never felt that, just talk to Him about it. I’m sure He has a project for you to tackle.
He taught me how to follow His call. When I began writing the script in June 2020, I had no idea that it would actually come to the stage, or that we could find eleven actors. But I knew that He was calling me to write, and His call was a burning fire inside that wouldn’t let me rest until the play was on the stage. I’d wanted to do theater for a long time, but all other efforts had fallen flat. Yet when He told my heart that it was time, I followed His call and He poured His blessings on the work. One of the most important things a person can do is to learn how to follow when Yehovah calls.
He taught me not to forget. Think about the Exodus story. The children of Israel saw the wonders and plagues, crossed the Red Sea on dry land, saw their enemies vanquished, and saw Yehovah’s cloud go before them. Exodus 15 records the song that they sang after the Red Sea crossing, and that’s how our musical ended. We all stood there, singing the victory: “Yehovah reigns forever and ever!”
But what happened after that victory? Just verses after their triumphant Red Sea song, the Israelites went to Marah and found bitter water. They complained and lost faith in Yehovah. Not long after, they needed food and complained about that. And this is a cycle that they continued throughout the wilderness. Yehovah gave them the food and water they needed, but still they didn’t keep their faith in Him and kept trying Him. They kept forgetting how good and powerful He is, as it says in Psalm 106:7. “Our fathers in Egypt did not understand Your wonders. They did not remember your great mercies and rebelled by the sea, the Sea of Reeds.”
Whenever we read that story, we like to think that we wouldn’t be like them–that we would remember all that Yehovah has done. But I know that in my life, when something is painful, overwhelming, or concerning to me, I’m quick to get discouraged. I sometimes forget the things Yehovah’s done in the past to help, heal, and save.
But with Yehovah’s help, I shall stop forgetting, and instead remember. I shall remember standing barefooted on that stage in my white dress, raising my hands in praise, and singing the Red-Sea-crossing song about the power of His excellence. I shall remember all the wonders He did to make that musical happen and remember that He will continue to do wonders. In the midst of trials, I shall learn to sing songs of His glory, so that I shan’t forget all His works. And I will tell the coming generation of what He’s done so that they may remember His grace and strength.
Friends, don’t forget what He’s done for you. He truly is omnipotent, and hopefully soon, we will all be better at remembering that. But here in this home, we won’t forget. The joy, the songs, and the lessons from last year are still ringing in our hearts.
