I Believe In You

 

I’m thankful to have a niece who is interested in musical theater.
I don’t know that I’m one day going to be able to take her to Europe, like my aunt has taken me,
But I can take her to see shows,
And I don’t take that privilege for granted.

On Saturday night, I had the opportunity to take Amelia to see one of my favorite shows, Waitress.
While the show didn’t make it to the top five of Amelia’s list,
It was still an incredible show with a fantastic cast.

I suppose this sounds silly, but one of my marks for a good show is if it makes me cry.
Sure enough, toward the end of the show, I had tears streaming down my face.

Joe, the curmudgeon who owned the diner at the center of the story,
Asked Jenna, the main character, for a dance.
As they danced, Joe told Jenna:

“…And though I don't believe in silver linings
I believe that there's something in you
I believe in you
Something good is tryin' to break through
Through
You might have to fight the good fight
And when you think you can't
You can
Take it from an old man.”

As a new school year begins,
I am more mindful than ever that there are a lot of Jenna’s in my classroom.
There are a lot of very creative students stuck in abusive homes,
Scared, lovely, searching for safety and compassion, longing for love.
They will do stupid things and make mistakes, yes,
But I want to be Joe.
Not a curmudgeon,
But someone who sees beyond circumstances and whose belief in my students somehow transforms their lives.

Oh God.
In a world that tries to beat us down by
telling us we can cannot do,
Help us to do what we can to build others up.
Whether it be a trip, a show, a dance, or a word,
Help us to give to others in ways that transform lives.

Amen.