Article April 7, 2014 ISSUE

Shining on stage

Stephen Hanlin
Stephen

Two years ago, I starred in my high school’s spring production of Crazy for You as Bobby Child, the rich banker who meets the girl of his dreams and falls madly in love. As opening night approached, the rehearsals went longer and longer, and although I felt more and more prepared for the role, I started to feel nervous about performing. This feeling of nervousness persisted through the rehearsals, and strengthened as opening night got closer and closer.

I tried to calm my nerves with what must have been a thousand different thoughts. “It’ll be all right, Stephen!” I told myself. I felt I had the right motives for performing—not to show off or feed my own ego, but to express God as Soul and bring joy to the audience. “You’ve done the work,” I reminded myself. “The performance is just the demonstration; the fulfillment of all the hard work and dedication you’ve put in.” I also tried to remember that God is the one performing, as Jesus pointed out when he remarked, “The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise” (John 5:19 ). I needed to get myself out of the way and simply let God’s goodness shine through me.

All I needed to do was just be still and affirm God’s omnipotence and control.

But no matter how many times I reminded myself that there was nothing to be scared of, I didn’t feel consoled. On opening night, in the last hour before the performance, my heart was beating so fast I could swear I felt it in my throat.

Eventually, I’d had enough. I went to a quiet space in the back of the men’s dressing room, sat down, and just opened my mind to the all-knowing Mind. In a few seconds, the thought came to me: “Be still, and know that I am God.” Even though I’d heard that quote—part of Psalms 46:10 —many times before, that night I experienced it in a new way. It was exactly what I needed to hear. I recognized that all I needed to do was just be still and clear my mind of all the mental static that was preventing me from thinking straight, and to mentally affirm God’s omnipotence and control over the whole situation. And as soon as I did that, the healing, the change in thought, happened instantaneously.

Then, it was time! The curtain opened, the lights went up, and before I knew it, I was out performing, singing my heart out in front of hundreds of people. The rest of the musical went just as smoothly as the first scene did. I left the theater that night feeling exhilarated and so blessed. I am so grateful for this demonstration of the effectiveness of God’s power—even in what seems like the simplest things.

About the author

Stephen Hanlin is a freshman at Principia College in Elsah, Illinois. He enjoys reading, singing, acting, and dancing, and has been a part of the Missouri All-State Honor Choir, as well as an All-State Solo/Ensemble performer.

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