My talents and my strengths are like Some fish, and loaves of bread And when I see this whole wide world That’s desperate to be fed
I wonder what my food can do To satisfy such need My fish and loaves of bread are few How many can they feed?
But when I open up my hands Yeshua comes and takes The meager loaves and fish I have He blesses and He breaks
I wonder what He’ll do with them And then, when He is done He calls and tells me to disperse The food to everyone
I do as He commanded me I give the food, and then With shock I look around and see It fed five thousand men
And thus Yeshua multiplies My strengths and talents, and I share His boundless blessings with The needy of the land
**********
“And Yeshua took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fish as much as they would.” -John 6:11
Earlier this week was the Festival of Tabernacles. Every year, I love to recall and celebrate the day during the Feast of Tabernacles in October 2012 when I accepted Yeshua as my King.
**********
He took me as a child At the tender age of eight And on that day I found the Way To enter Heaven’s gate
He took me as a child When I wondered, when I cried He loved me And He chose me Even though I sinned and lied
He took me as a child When I hardly had a thing Of usefulness Or preciousness That’s worthy for a King
He took me as a child When I stumbled, when I fell He chose to love And strengthen me So that His praise I’d tell
He took me as a child When I thought, “My selfish way Just doesn’t bring Me anything I want; it doesn’t pay.”
He took me as a child When so small I was, and weak His eyes could see Some worth in me He chose my soul to seek
He took me as child Like an orphan I had been My guilt was strong I’d been so wrong But still He let me in
He took me as a child In His grace, adopted me Although naive I did believe That He could set me free
He took me as a child When He helped my faith to win And on that day I chose the Way That conquers death and sin
He took me as a child In the days I joked and played Amidst the fun Of being young A covenant we made
He took me as a child Oh, how little did I know Of what I’d see When I was free Or where my life would go
He took me as a child When I hardly knew a thing Of life’s travails Of hope’s avails Of what my choice would bring
He took me as a child With His love He took my heart And on that day– What peace! What joy!– Was life’s amazing start
He took me as a child That was many years ago Life’s journey brings Me many things That ‘fore I didn’t know
He took me as a child And I never shall forget The day that He Delivered me The day He loved me yet
He took me as a child Though I’m now more strong and wise I still recall When I was small Yet valued in His eyes
He took me as a child Let me never think I’m more Than tiny me Whom Yah set free Than who I was before
He took me as a child That’s the greatest gift Yah’s shared All talents, joys Success, and toys Lose luster when compared
He took me as a child Though the years have flown away I know I must Retain the trust I had in that blessed day
He took me as a child Since that day, I’m not the same My joy, my choice Is that my voice Shall always praise His Name
He took me as a child That’s where joy and hope begin Though grown we be To heaven we As children enter in
He took me as a child On that day He rescued me I praise Him, for Forevermore His child I shall be
As servants of Messiah, we are supposed to have faith in our Savior. We know that He can do anything and save us even from the darkest pit. All throughout the Bible it says to believe and not to fear, as fear tries to destroy faith.
For I am Yehovah your Elohim, holding your right hand, saying to you, “Do not fear, I will help you.
Isaiah 41:13
In the Hebrew language, the word for “fearing” and the word for “seeing” are very similar in spelling and pronunciation. Hebrew suggests that fearing comes from seeing. It’s like the Bible account of how the apostle Peter became fearful when He saw the waves around him (Matthew 14).
What I find interesting is that Peter was already walking on the water when He became afraid. He was walking on the very waves that frightened him. When he began to fear, that is when He began to sink.
Like Peter, we can rise above the waves around us and do the impossible by the strength of Yeshua. When we keep our eyes on Messiah, and don’t look at the wind and waves around us, we will have faith, not fear.
For we walk by faith, not by sight.
2 Corinthians 5:7
But there are times when we can’t help but see the waves–the things around us that look so big and frightening. We ask ourselves, is it a sin to feel scared? Is it ever possible to feel scared, yet still have faith?
I propose that the feeling of fear inside of you means very little. We place too much emphasis on feelings. Hebrew is an action-based language. You are what you do. So what matters is not whether we feel brave, but whether we act brave.
Fear as an emotion isn’t a sin, but it can lead you toward acting in fear, or acting in faith. It’s how we act when we’re frightened that matters.
When we let fear steal our faith and control our actions, that is a sin. When we don’t love, don’t speak, or don’t do the will of Yehovah because we are scared, we have fallen short of our calling. This is a tool of the devil, and this is walking in fear.
But when our emotions cause us to seek Him, our faith can be strengthened. Scary situations can lead us closer to Yehovah. And it is a wonderful thing to fear Yehovah, and to flee from disobeying Him. This is walking in faith.
The fear of Yehovah is the beginning of wisdom.
Psalm 111:10a
For you shall fear Yehovah your Elohim, and He will deliver you from the hand of all enemies.
2 Kings 17:39
So next time you feel fear welling up within you, pay attention to what you do, not what you feel. Does the fear drive you toward sin, or do you walk by faith and cling to Messiah despite the frightened feeling?
We’re called to walk in faith, not feel faith. Faith rarely can be felt; it is done. “Faith” in Hebrew can also mean “loyalty” and “steadfastness.” When you are afraid, do you run to Yehovah and remain loyal? Do you steadfastly guard His word? Do you learn Peter’s lesson and keep your eyes on Messiah? Do you keep standing and working for Him, despite what you feel? Do you trust in Him, like David did?
In the day I will fear, I will trust in You. In Elohim I have trusted. I will not fear. What can man do to me?
Psalm 56:3+12
From the ends of the earth, to You I will cry. When my heart is weary, guide me by the Rock that is higher that I.
Psalm 61:3
I’ve found that usually when you step out in faith and do what’s right despite the fear, that fear will leave. There are many examples, in the Bible and elsewhere, of righteous and brave people who did what they should despite whatever feelings they had. We should aspire to be like them.
I once read a true story about a ship full of immigrants trying to sneak into the land of Israel in 1947 (before it became a state). In the middle of the night, not far from land, the ship hit a sandbar and tipped onto its side. The waters were too choppy to use lifeboats. But men on shore, waiting to receive the immigrants, grabbed a long rope and swam all the way out to the tipped ship. Using the rope as a lifeline, they brought the weak immigrants from the boat to the shore.
Thus says Yehovah, who gives a way in the sea and a path in the strong waters.
Isaiah 43:16
Yehovah is our lifeline, our way of getting through the choppy sea. When we see a wave that scares us, what will we do? Will that emotion compel us to act in fear (flail, scream, and be shoved under the water), or to cling more tightly to our Savior and be saved? Again, it’s not the emotion that matters, but the actions.
So try to practice with the little waves. Any time something frightening comes at you, cling harder to Yeshua. And don’t worry if you happen to slip and fall into the water. Yeshua will be there to pick you up, just as He did for Peter.
And after such practice, when harsher waves crash over you, you’ll automatically know what to do. You will keep your eyes on the Savior, cling steadfastly, and walk by faith. Yeshua and His Word are our peace and hope in the midst of great storms. He, our lifeline and security, saves us and guides us through the sea to the shore of the promised land.
And now, thus says Yehovah, your Creator, Jacob, and your Former, Israel: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you. I have called your name, you are Mine. When you pass through water, I am with you, and in rivers, they will not wash over you.
I completed my homeschool studies this past May. Upon graduating, I often hear, “Follow your dreams.” What exactly do people mean when they tell me that? I guess they mean that they want me to find happiness in life (which is very sweet of them) and that I will find that happiness in my dreams.
I admit that I have dreams. I have ideas of what I’d like to do or what I’d like the future to look like. But I don’t really care about those sorts of dreams. The only dreams I care about, the only dreams I want to follow, are Yehovah’s dreams for me.
For what use is a dream, if it is not in Yehovah’s will? As Psalm 127 says, “Unless Yehovah builds the house, in vain its builders toil in it.” Any dreams or plans we have that are not in Yehovah’s will shall fall like a house on shifting sand. Such fruitless dreams will not bring happiness.
But whatever dreams you have that are in Yehovah’s perfect plan are the dreams you should seek. Those are what you should work for. And those are the plans that will give you the most happiness and fulfillment in life.
How do you know Yehovah’s perfect plan for you? He reveals it through His word, through circumstances around you, through a dream, or through a message that burns in your heart. He can speak to you in multiple ways. You just have to be open and receptive to His voice, His will. You have to take time to pray and read His word.
But here’s a little warning. Yehovah’s plans for you are usually hard. He usually wills for you to travel the difficult path, the trail less traveled. How then, you might ask, will such a path riddled with trials bring joy and fulfillment?
Because that is the path where you find Yeshua–the ultimate source of joy. That is the path where you are able to help the desperate brothers around you–the ultimate source of fulfillment. As you walk the path of obedience to Yehovah, you can be certain that any difficulty that comes your way has a purpose and can help you become a better person. That path leads to heaven. That is the path I want to travel.
So now, to the best of my ability, I am walking that path of obedience. I try to listen to His words and seek Him and His will. I feel Him telling me that my future is with children. In His great love, He has given me an opportunity to practice my skills with children. On July 27, I became a first-grade teacher to my little friend Kiley. I’ve known her since she was nine months old, and she is such a dear. It’s hard to put in words how grateful I am to be able to teach her and input into her life. It’s a precious gift from Yehovah–a perfect preparation for my future with children.
Kiley and I on our first day of school
I also feel Him telling me that in the future, times will be tough. For that, I prepare spiritually. I work to memorize chapters of the Bible, grow in trust, and learn more about Him.
There are some people that think that I ought to go to college. But how can college help me prepare for my future? Yehovah has not called me to be a nurse, a business woman, or anything that would require a college degree. I don’t need a degree to do His will for me. I can teach Kiley without a degree. I can write poetry and stories for Yehovah without a degree. I can love and help those around me without a degree.
The best preparation for my future is what I am doing right now: homeschooling my friend and hiding Yehovah’s word in my heart. I couldn’t ask for anything more from Him.
So, to any other graduates reading this, I want to encourage you to find Yehovah’s plan for you. Find where He wants you to grow and what He wants you to do. Whether He wants you to go to college, get a job, stay at home, be a missionary, or whatever His awesome plan is, follow Him. “Trust in Yehovah with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. Know Him in all your ways, and He will make your paths straight.” (Proverbs 3:5&6)Remember that “Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but the counsel of Yehovah–that shall stand.” (Proverbs 19:21)
We have been bought by Messiah. Our lives are not our own to control, but for us to give unto Him. It’s not enough to read inspiring stories of brave, influential people of the past. We need to be the brave and influential people of our age, and the only way we can do that is through Messiah Yeshua. If we surrender to Him, He will do more with us than we could ever hope or imagine.
I suppose I am following my dreams, because following Yehovah’s plans for me is my dream. He can do with me what He pleases. I will be content as long as I’m with Him. I look forward to a future of serving my King.
This poem is mostly the story of what I went through and learned between the ages of 12 and 14. By Yeshua’s great grace, I am here to proclaim that I never sought Him in vain.
**********
You often cry And wonder why He seems so far away You wonder if He truly cares And hears you when you pray
You know you should Believe He’s good But you can’t see His hand It’s hard to cling to joy and hope When you don’t understand
But never fear For yet He’s near His promise will remain “I haven’t told the seed of Jacob ‘Seek for me in vain.'”
When life is dim You search for Him Amidst the clouds of doubt You know He has the answers that Can say what life’s about
But when you fail To see the trail That leads you to His throne You fear that searching won’t avail You feel that you’re alone
But lift your head And never dread He’ll guide you through the rain He hasn’t told the seed of Jacob “Seek for me in vain.”
When all you know Is dole and woe And you can barely see You know you need to hear His voice And He can set you free
To hear His voice Becomes your choice But how you do not know Then seek His face and trust in Him His words to you He’ll show
And when you’ve heard His precious word– What peace amidst the pain! He hasn’t told the seed of Jacob “Seek for me in vain.”
He knows our fears He sees our tears He saves us from alarms And though He sometimes lets us fall We fall into His arms
Despite our flaws He gives a cause To all that we endured He didn’t speak in secret depths We hear our Savior’s word
And when the years Of pain and tears Have brought you strength and gain You’ll say in love to Yah above “I never sought in vain.”
**********
For thus says Yehovah, Creator of the heavens–He is the Elohim, Former of the earth, and its Maker: “I am Yehovah, and there is none other. I have not spoken in secret, in the dark place of the earth. I did not say to the seed of Jacob, ‘Seek me in vain.'” Turn to me and be saved, all ends of the earth, for I am El, and there is none other. –Isaiah 45:18,19,+22
And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. –Romans 8:28
Hear Yehovah, and have compassion on me! Yehovah, be a help for me! You have turned my mourning to dancing. You have loosed my sackcloth and made me hear gladness, so that my glory will sing praise to you, and not be silent. Yehovah, my Elohim, I will thank you forever. –Psalm 30:11-13
Eternal love, unending grace Compassion rich and free Are found upon the Savior’s face Are found at Calvary
For there they mocked, and there He cried Forsaken and alone For there He bled and there He died To take me as His own
Oh, I am mortal and undone A sinner, yet I see He sent for me His only Son What love He has for me!
A love so great and infinite He heard my desperate cry A love so deep and passionate He rather chose to die
And give up all His majesty His palace in the sky And live among such misery Than see me justly die
For I deserved the awful death But He was there instead He finished all, gave up His breath And lay among the dead
The grave could never hold him down Nor can it conquer me For when He rose to claim His crown I rose for all to see
Yeshua conquered, grace to give What joy–He set me free! He paid the price for me to live What love He has for me!
A love that chose to rescue me When I had gone astray Although I sinned so stubbornly He led me to His way
A love that reads my heart and mind Yet sees beyond my sin He opened heaven’s gates to find My soul and let me in
A love beyond my hopes or dreams No other love compares Like never-ending cleansing streams That take away my cares
A love that daily bears with me And helps me learn and grow A love that clears my eyes to see And guides me as I go
A love that always cares for me A love that knows no end My righteous King has come to be My Father and my Friend
A love that faithfully forgives Whatever I have done He loves me with the love He gives His Son, the Righteous One!
This love is why I live today This love is how I cope And in the darkest pit or fray This love is still my hope
Eternal love, unending grace Compassion rich and free Are found upon the Savior’s face What love He has for me!
**********
“For because of Yehovah’s love for you and because of His guarding the promise which He swore to your fathers, Yehovah brought you out with a strong hand, and redeemed your from the house of slaves, from the hand of Pharaoh, king of Egypt. And you shall know that Yehovah your Elohim is the Elohim: the faithful El, guarding the covenant and the lovingkindness to a thousand generations.” -Deuteronomy 7:8-9
“Because you were valued in my sight, you have been honorable, and I have loved you, I will give men instead of you and nations instead of your soul.” -Isaiah 43:4
Behold, what manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God! -1 John 3:1
“…I have loved you with an everlasting love, therefore I have drawn you withlovingkindness. Again I will build you, and you will be built, Maiden of Israel! Again you will be adorned with your tambourines and will go forth in the dance of those who laugh.” -Jeremiah 31:3+4
“As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you: continue in my love. If you keep My commandments, you shall abide in My love; even as I have kept My Father’s commandments, and abide in His love. These things have I spoken unto you, that My joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. This is my commandment, That you love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” -John 15:9-13
“…That they may be perfected into one, that the world may know that You have sent me, and have loved them as You have loved me.” -John 17:23
One of my passions is Hebrew. It’s a little difficult for me to put into words what the Hebrew language means to me, but I am going to try. I feel it is important for me to tell you why I love it so much.
Right now I’m writing in English. Throughout my life I have written, conversed, and learned in English. I have portrayed deep feelings in English. I’ve studied English since I was very young, and have learned to harness the power of the English language in the form of sentences, paragraphs, descriptions, poetry, and prose. I’ve learned how to bring beauty out of simple English words. All of you can understand the meaning of the sentences and words that I write. English is the medium that we use to express our ideas.
Why then do I feel that Hebrew is superior? Does not English work as well as any other language? What does Hebrew convey, or what does Hebrew do, that other languages can not?
In English, words are but a medium for expressing ideas; In Hebrew, the words themselves give you ideas. In English, the rules for conjugating words are difficult and irregular; in Hebrew, the rules for conjugation are certain and orderly. In English, any single letter has no meaning on its own; in Hebrew, even one single letter can tell you something.
You might be able to express in English everything that you can express in Hebrew, but the difference is that it would take paragraphs of English words to express what is found in a single Hebrew sentence–when you boil down the sentence to its letters, roots, ancient pictographs, etc. The very shape of the Hebrew letters can tell you things. Even right now, as I try to tell you about why Hebrew is so close to my heart, I’m certain I would have an easier time if I were writing in Hebrew, because Hebrew is packed with both obvious and hidden meaning.
In English, if you want to find the root of a word, you have to carefully study in a dictionary or some other manuscript. In Hebrew, the root, and thus the definition, of a word is right before you, inseparably tied into the word. In English, the root of a word could be from any random language, including Hebrew; in Hebrew, except for modern additives, the roots of words are purely Hebrew. The fact that Hebrew words have roots so plainly displayed helps you easily find the relationships between them. There are three letter roots and two letter roots, helping you find connections and meanings.
The English language is characterized by the mindset of Greco-western civilization, which places greater emphasis on ideas, feelings, and thoughts. But Hebrew is an action-based language. The Hebrew phrase “אנחנו מאמינים” means both “We believe” and “We are believers.” In Hebrew, when you are weeping, you are a weeper. When you are fighting, you are a fighter. You are what you do. We’ve all heard the saying that actions speak louder than words; In Hebrew, actions speak out of the words.
Now it’s time for a history lesson. How many of you know that Hebrew was a dead language for nearly two thousand years? When the Romans ransacked Jerusalem in AD 70 and scattered the Jewish people throughout the world, Hebrew became a dead language, only known by a portion of the scattered Jews. The religious Jews who still understood the language thought it was sinful to use the holy language for anything other than Bible reading and prayer. The Hebrew language was not in common use until a man named Eliezer Ben-Yehuda revived the Hebrew language nearly single-handedly. Yehovah gave him a vision, and it burned like fire within him. He understood that in order for Israel to be a nation, they needed to have Hebrew as a common language to connect the thousands of Jews who had been scattered. Now, because of his efforts, millions of Israelis speak a language that hadn’t been used for common conversation since the time of Yeshua. Are people speaking Babylonian or Egyptian or the language of the Philistines? Never before has a dead language come alive. Eliezer Ben-Yehuda was Yehovah’s instrument in preforming this linguistic miracle.
I highly recommend Eliezer Ben-Yehuda’s biography: “Tongue of the Prophets”
The Israelis, myself, and anyone else who understands Hebrew, speak the language that the prophets spoke, the kings spoke, Moses spoke, and Adam spoke. Most importantly, they speak the language that Yehovah spoke–both as a still small voice in the secret places and as a strong voice booming forth from Mount Sinai. It is the language that the finger of Yehovah wrote upon the two tablets of stone. It is the language He spoke as He made an unending covenant with His people. It is the language Yeshua used as He cried out on the cross, and I infer that it is the language He will use upon His return to this earth. It is the language of Yehovah, the holy language, and that is the most marvelous thing about Hebrew.
Changes happen to a language over time. Thankfully, due to the work of diligent and impassioned scholars, Hebrew has remained essentially the same over thousands of years. Elijah the prophet could enter modern Israel and understand most of the words. Isn’t that miraculous?
Hebrew is once again the common language in the streets and homes of Israel
Yet there are many people in modern Israel who do not realize what a miracle it is that they speak Hebrew. Many don’t care about Yehovah or the Bible, and that takes away much of Hebrew’s preciousness. Such people often adopt a Greco-western mindset, like I mentioned earlier, and miss the deep meaning embedded in the Hebrew words.
That’s one of the main reasons I am writing this. I want you to understand how precious this language is. After all the terrible persecution the Jews have suffered over the years, it is only by the hand of Yehovah that this language is still being spoken in schools, markets, and homes throughout Israel and the world.
Two weeks ago, Yehovah blessed me with an opportunity to talk to a young native Israeli. I looked at that child and understood as he spoke to me in the language of our fathers; my heart melted. I feel like crying right now when I think of it, because in that moment, as he spoke, I was able to see firsthand the restoration of my people Israel. Hardly more than a hundred years ago, there was not a single child who spoke Hebrew as his mother language. Yet I was able to talk with this native-speaking child in the holy language. I got to take part in the miracle. I don’t think I’ve been quite the same since that moment.
Hebrew is a language of relationship, unity, and connection. It is a language that connects you to Yehovah, His people, and His land. It is a language that connects the past, the present, and the future.
Psalms 115-118 in my Hebrew Bible
I understand that many Americans have excuses as to why they don’t want to study Hebrew. They say they are too old, too busy, or not smart enough. They are afraid of failure, or they simply don’t want to make it a priority. But who said an old person can’t learn a language? Just because you might not be smart enough to become fluent in a language does not mean that you are not smart enough to study. And please don’t think that if you try, you will fail. You will learn at least a few special things as you study.
All that being said, I do understand that many never chose to learn Hebrew. If you don’t want to learn, that is your choice. I am merely telling you the reasons that I did choose to learn Hebrew–and why it is my favorite language, my passion.
Me with my Hebrew Bible
English annoys me with how confusing it is. Hebrew, however, is a breath of fresh air. It makes my heart sing. Whenever I open my Hebrew Bible, the depth of meaning found in the Bible combined with the depth of meaning found in the Hebrew language provides such a richness to Yehovah’s precious book. In my mind, no English words, or even English poetry, can compare with the beauty of the Hebrew language. My heart greatly yearns for the day that I will be in Israel speaking Hebrew with my brothers. I know that I will likely not get that opportunity until the Savior returns, so my heart cries out to my King in song, in the language that both He and I love:
“So, blessed is your arrival and Your kingdom come. Our Redeemer, our King is returning! And we will rejoice in hope that will not fail. He will come; our Master, our King will come.”
-A translation from the song “He Will Come” by Sheli Myers
אז ברוך בואך ותבוא מלכותך גואלנו מלכנו חוזר ונגיל בתקווה שלא איכזבה הוא יבוא; אדוננו מלכנו יבוא
מתוך השיר “יבוא,” שלי מאיירס
“And then I will return to the nations a clean language, for all of them to call on the Name of Yehovah, to serve him with one shoulder.” –Zephaniah 3:9
כי אז אהפך אל העמים שפה ברורה לקרוא כלם בשם יהוה לעבדו בשכם אחד צפניה ג:ט
For a long time it was on my heart to be in a musical. I would dream of maybe one day being able to act, but I didn’t know how I’d ever get an opportunity. I settled with doing small, simple plays with a few family members or friends. It seemed that Yehovah’s will was for me to stick with those little shows, but the desire to be on a real stage doing a real show still burned within me. I did not know when Yehovah would want to do anything with that desire, and thought it might just be a fleshly desire that was not from Him.
But as the years went by, I realized that the desire was from Him. In 2018, I felt Him urge me to write a musical, and I obeyed, writing a script entitled The Maid of Morristown Manor. He helped me and gave me songs and music. I was certain that His hand was behind this musical.
But when it was being edited, serious flaws became obvious. It was not good enough for the stage. Furthermore, we did not have enough actors. I became discouraged, wondering if Yehovah had any plan for my failed musical, and why He had helped me write it if it was simply to be thrown in the trash. But then I felt a peace inside. It was as if the Father was telling me that it was fine that The Maid of Morristown Manor had flunked–that He was not done working.
The year before I wrote The Maid, my sister Amy Grace felt Yehovah prompting her to write songs for a musical based on the Exodus from Egypt. She wrote “Be Still, My Child,” “In Days Gone By,” and “Someone Knows My Name.” Just like my musical, though, it became obvious that the plans in her head were not able to come to reality. Some songs were incomplete, she never wrote a script, and, once again, there was no way that we would find enough actors. Amy Grace didn’t care that her musical would never happen; she didn’t have any inner fire compelling her to act. But I did. I would tell her that her songs were special and something should be done with them, yet her songs were to lie dormant for years.
On June 21, 2020, the time of waiting, wondering, and dormancy was over. On that day, I told Amy Grace that I was tired of her doing nothing with her beautiful half-finished songs. I wanted to write a musical about the Exodus, and asked her for permission to finish and use her songs. She agreed. That day I started writing the script for a new musical, feeling Yehovah compelling me.
The next few months were a lot of work. Yehovah helped me as I wrote the songs, plot, and script. I would marvel as rhymes and words flowed out of my brain so seamlessly. I knew that the words were from Him. Not once did I encounter writer’s block. He was giving me music to play and a story to tell. And one day Yehovah suddenly gave me the title for my musical: On Eagles’ Wings. I tried not to put many characters in the musical, hoping to make it feasible for performance, as I did not know many people who were willing to act.
It just so happened that during this time, Yehovah began suddenly placing people in our lives. I did not know that these new friends would one day become the cast members, but Yehovah did. He was orchestrating everything.
With every passing week, I became more convinced that On Eagles’ Wings was Yehovah’s work. It became obvious that He wanted us to perform this musical and had given me the inner flame for that purpose. “Shall You take our wildest dreams and truly form them into fact?” I wrote into the musical script, as I watched Yehovah change my musical from a far-out dream into a soon-coming reality.
Then I realized why Yehovah’s hand had been so evident in the two musicals that had never come to fruition. Those two musicals were crucial stepping stones that prepared us for On Eagles’ Wings. Amy Grace’s musical was the birthplace of multiple songs and The Maid was where I learned invaluable lessons about script format and editing.
In December, auditions for the musical were held. When I began to worry that we would not find enough actors, I was reminded of all that Yehovah had done, and trusted that He would continue to work. Auditions turned out to be amazing, and I found all the actors I needed! I couldn’t believe how many people were willing to audition.
The next few months became a busy blur. I finished the script in January and soon got it edited, which was tough, but Yehovah would not let me give up. Then in February, practices began. It is hard to explain exactly what it was like for me to see the musical come to the practice stage. Those days were answered prayers.
My siblings and I also had so much work to do on the music for the show. In my opinion, that was the biggest job. We had to record, rerecord, and piece together music so many times. Thanks to Yehovah, I had some amazing musicians and helpers who were there for me on that journey. Yehovah sustained us through all the hard work.
Finally we secured a venue. The first time I went to the venue I was taken by its beauty and amazed at Yehovah’s provision. The Silver Chapel had such wonderful acoustics that none of the actors needed microphones during the performance.
Practices, hard work, and costume designing continued without stop. The cast was so gracious and patient with me and my family as we worked to bring this musical to fruition. Everything fell into place. This amazing experience was a marvelous example of how the physical and spiritual work together. We did the physical work; Yehovah did the spiritual work. Here is a brief list of some amazing things Yehovah did that I have not already mentioned.
He helped my sister Rose write the song “He is My Peace.”
He gave us a venue in the middle of COVID-19.
He gave us a practice stage in Piedmont, AL.
He helped us find a sound man.
He gave many people willing hearts and able hands to help with the work.
He helped us find all of the props we needed.
About two months before the show, the actress for Avdah (the main character) and the actor for Leah switched characters and the transition was smooth.
He gave my brother the time and ability to do hours of acting, recording, and digital mastering.
He stopped all my stage fright on performance night.
He helped us find a videographer.
He allowed the Silver Chapel to get a new sound system before our performance.
There was a 12-hour storm right between two crucial practices the final week.
He made the weather so lovely that heat or AC (which would have been too noisy for the audience) was not needed on that day.
On March 21, 2021, nine months to the day after I wrote the first words of the script, the musical was performed. It was an amazing night, with seventy people in attendance. So many people said that they were amazed, but I was more amazed than they were–amazed that the King of all Creation would use me in such a way and let my dreams come true. I keep saying how it was Yehovah who made that night amazing. We are humbled by Him.
“Now to Him who is able to do all things exceedingly above what we ask or think, according to the power working in us, to Him be the glory in the church in Messiah Yeshua to all the generations forever and ever. Amen.” -Ephesians 3:20-21
