A Spring Shower Sublimely Sweet

Sunset

Honeycreek, GA

March 2011

Psalm 33:14-16 NIV
"From his dwelling place he watches all who live on earth—
he who forms the hearts of all, who considers everything they do."

Carousel was opening in a couple nights, and we were running out of dress rehearsals. Out of all Rodgers and Hammerstein's musicals, this one contains the most sentimental songs of all, even though the story has a rather tragic plot.

Our high school choir, drama club, and orchestra had practiced for weeks to perfect the musical, and opening night loomed before us. Nerves stretched tight, especially for the directors and the lead performers.

Brenda Dawson portrayed Julie Jordan, who was swept off her feet by the carnival barker, Billy Bigelow. Greg Shulte played the irresistible, wise-to-the-world, Billy opposite Brenda's seemingly fragile Julie.

I was Brenda's make-up "artist" still trying to figure out the right pancake powder and rouges to heighten her delicate complexion. She was milk and cream with dark hair. Petite and beautiful with a voice like a spring shower--sublimely sweet.

Unfortunately, for this rehearsal, I had placed too much dark pancake powder on her face, and she looked terrible. I didn't realize how old she looked until she walked under the stage lights.

The mother who assisted our directors with these minor stage issues exploded.  "Look at you! Just look at you!" she screamed at Brenda.  "You look TERRIBLE!!!!!!.  I can't believe how bad this make-up is. Look at these streaks. That blush is wrong, wrong, wrong!!!! And the foundation is toooooo  daaaarrrrkkk!!!!"

By the time her tirade ended, tears rolled down Brenda's cheek.  I was mortified and humiliated. I wanted to speak out against the adult, but I had been raised not to challenge her.

Brenda rushed off the stage and into the back room to remove her make-up.  I followed her, apologized, and promised I would figure out how to do her make-up better. I pleaded with her not to take this woman's words to heart.

Brenda composed herself and returned to the stage, where she continue rehearsal.  Over the course of the week, we worked together and successfully applied her make-up to the woman's satisfaction. Brenda was a beautiful leading woman throughout the play's run.

Several years later, I watched her perform the lead in our college's production of West Side Story. Her make-up looked impeccable from my seat, and her voice was just as sublimely sweet.

While certain people may worry about appearances, God does not worry about how I look. He sees me with His eyes and not the world's. He accepts me, flaws and all. I am so grateful for this. He loves my spirit and looks at me from a spiritual level.

Jennifer Rothschild writes and speaks about this concept in her ministry. She says I can not look at myself in a mirror and think this is how God sees me. God looks at my soul.

I need to ignore my critical eye when I see myself in the mirror, and remove the voice from the past screaming, "You look Terrribbleeee!  Your make-up is tooooo daaarrrrkkkk!!!" 

Instead, I need to hear God's sweet voice, singing to me softly, like a spring shower, sublimely sweet, telling me over and over how beautiful my spirit is to Him.
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Thank you, Lord, for seeing me with your eyes and not the world's.