Prior to a community theater performance, I felt concerned about my ability to perform my part. 

The evening before, a group of cast and crew had gone out to eat after the show, and we’d had a nice time visiting. This hang-out time is always precious because the group feels like a family after working through the challenges of putting a play together. Since there wasn’t much downtime during the show’s run, we hadn’t had many opportunities to just be together, so it was a special occasion. 

Now, before this matinee, I was tired. The thought kept coming to me that I should feel guilty for staying up late—that I was paying the price for that choice. However, I realized that this thought was not mine and not legitimate because it wasn’t from God, who is totally good and the source of all true thoughts. Recognizing that guilty, tired, and fearful thoughts were not from God and that I did not have to accept them or the negative consequences they were suggesting was helping me feel better, and I felt confident in doing my roles during the first act.