If you would have told me ten years ago, that I would one day move to Los Angeles and pursue a career in Hollywood, I probably would have laughed in your face. But here I sit, in Studio City, no more than 10 minutes from the world's leading definer of culture-Hollywood. I have found God to be quite the comedian in this journey. He is always faithful to have the answer when I feel like I am roadblocked and I am confident that He takes great joy in watching me releasing the control over my life to Him. If I moved to California if for no other reason than to learn about my need for dependence on the Lord, then He has surely been successful. The most exciting thing about this whole journey is the great unknown that lies before me. Everyday I wake up, there are thousands of unpredictable possibilities that could unfold. For this normally regimented perfectionist, the spontaneity of the Acting career has really become euphoric. Of course, I'd be lying if I said that there were no disappointments, but what I have found is that the Lord has only made me stronger through the disappointments. Furthermore, when I realize that this path is not actually about me, I begin to see the days events through the eyes of our Heavenly Creator. I quit seeing a flubbed audition as a flubbed audition, but rather, an opportunity to touch the life of a fellow actor in the waiting room, or the casting assistant running the session, or even the coffee barista who gave me my morning energy boost before the big audition.
I may never be a household name; I may never grace the screen at your local cineplex; I may never even book another part; and that is okay with me. When we are walking in the will of the Lord, all of the earth's "success's" become trivial. I can say with confidence that if the Lord called me to leave here tomorrow, it would be okay. I could leave knowing full well that I have impacted the lives of countless people in this city just by my presence. I say this, even though I know the Lord is not through with me here yet.
For you reading this, I hope that you will take this next realization and apply it in your own life. My biggest discovery about faith in Los Angeles is that people want to see and know real people. They don't want to only meet the Sunday morning Bible-beater. They want to meet the person that is going to love them inspite of their wrongdoing. They want to befriend someone who will not judge them. They want someone to love them unselfishly. If we, as believers, every want to hope to be authentic Christians, than we must stop living in the our comfort zone, and go out and meet people where they are at. After all, Christ didn't only fellowship with the priests and the cookie-cutter Christians, he reached out to the drunkards, the prostitutes, the profane, the homosexual, the corrupt, the deceitful, the druggies, the addicts, the liars, the adulterers, the cheaters, the promiscuous, the atheists...I think you are starting to get the point.
We are not God, nor will we ever be God. We, therefore, have no right to judge the sin in the lives of those around us. We are called to love the unlovable. So, I close today saying, "Go out and love- If we don't, who will?
I may never be a household name; I may never grace the screen at your local cineplex; I may never even book another part; and that is okay with me. When we are walking in the will of the Lord, all of the earth's "success's" become trivial. I can say with confidence that if the Lord called me to leave here tomorrow, it would be okay. I could leave knowing full well that I have impacted the lives of countless people in this city just by my presence. I say this, even though I know the Lord is not through with me here yet.
For you reading this, I hope that you will take this next realization and apply it in your own life. My biggest discovery about faith in Los Angeles is that people want to see and know real people. They don't want to only meet the Sunday morning Bible-beater. They want to meet the person that is going to love them inspite of their wrongdoing. They want to befriend someone who will not judge them. They want someone to love them unselfishly. If we, as believers, every want to hope to be authentic Christians, than we must stop living in the our comfort zone, and go out and meet people where they are at. After all, Christ didn't only fellowship with the priests and the cookie-cutter Christians, he reached out to the drunkards, the prostitutes, the profane, the homosexual, the corrupt, the deceitful, the druggies, the addicts, the liars, the adulterers, the cheaters, the promiscuous, the atheists...I think you are starting to get the point.
We are not God, nor will we ever be God. We, therefore, have no right to judge the sin in the lives of those around us. We are called to love the unlovable. So, I close today saying, "Go out and love- If we don't, who will?
