If the World is a Stage...

I'm sure everyone has heard Shakespeare's famous line, "All the world is a stage." I've been thinking about that phrase lately.
This might seem odd coming from my "love-to-be-on-stage" self... but I decided a long time ago that if LIFE were really a stage, I would be the sets girl. I'd be the one in the background who paints the trees and shrubs. I'd be the girl who isn't exactly essential to the storyline- the girl who doesn't get a curtain call at the end or a bundle of roses to take home. I'd be the most infamously unfamous of them all, because I seriously can't think of a more normal girl than yours truly.
But even this very normal girl sometimes loves to capture the attention of someone. If I'm not careful, instead of just looking at my Father and being satisfied with His approval, I start looking for it in other people.
That's what I think Shakespeare meant. I think he meant you and I have a tendency to go through life trying our hardest to win somebody's approval. It might be the guy with the sweet smile two rows over, the sorority girls during rush week, the campus ministry group that seems just a little bit cooler and more elite than the rest. Sometimes even sacrificing our reputations can start to seem like a small price to pay just to belong.
I've learned that sometimes my quest for approval, even when I win it, is the coldest curtain call of them all.
Humility doesn't mean putting yourself down. It DOES mean taking a step back and realizing the amazing potential our lives can pack when we live them for the glory of our Jesus. Fame is only a shabby substitute for belonging: a sad, desperate attempt by a fallen world to fill the hole in our hearts that God wants to fill.
I wonder if instead of making a name for ourselves, our heart's desire is to really leave a legacy. God notices humility, because humble people have a tendency to think about other people's needs. People who live lives of genuine humility somehow reflect the kindness and goodness of God. Take my best friend, for example.
Caitlin gave up most of her weekday evenings to study with me. If you knew my friend, this wouldn't surprise you. Cait isn't an upfront, in-your-face kind of girl. She's a smart, talented, hilarious 20 year old with huge blue eyes. She COULD be center stage if she wanted. But that never seems to be her desire.
Instead, she handled all the studying techniques like a seasoned pro, making notecards and quizzing me until the wee hours of the morning. She was my voice of sanity when I had my crazy moments. She wrote a new song, and sang to me all the time. She prayed over the studying, and held my hand through the crippling fear that I would get "yet another C on an exam."
She didn't walk around telling people how tired she was or how much she'd done. Not only did this past semester confirm that I have the most wonderful nursing buddy ever, but her example helped me see what true humility looks like.
Cait doesn't need a standing ovation or a crazy amount of applause. She doesn't have any grand delusions of fame, because she just wants to worship Jesus through her life in the best way she can. Knowing that her heavenly Jesus is proud is the only audience Caitlin needs.
God has reminded me of some tremendously good news lately. We don't have to earn His love. In fact, we CAN'T earn it. We don't have to score lists of awards and accolades. Your God loves you unconditionally, and His love is permanent. Nothing you can do will make Him love you less. "I have loved you with an everlasting love." Jeremiah 31:3. He says His banner flies over us; His protection surrounds us, and His dreams for us are good dreams.
You already have the approval of a King who would move heaven and earth just to be near you. We don't have to perform for anybody anymore. Just do it all for Him and give Him the glory. When you DO have to take center stage, take it in confidence, knowing the good work He started in you is a good work He'll finish. The same God who called the most inspiring parts of creation "good" is enthralled by you.
I remember doing a Thanksgiving day play when I was little. Even though I had only one line, I was petrified in front of so many people. Dressed like a miniature pilgrim, I gripped the cardboard cake in my hands and took a deep breath... and noticed something. I saw my dad, standing in the back of the room, with a big smile on his face. Just seeing him suddenly filled me with courage. I smiled, hoisted my fake cake in the air and yelled, "I made the cake!"
He beamed, gave me a thumbs up and clapped his hands the loudest when it was over. I felt as if I'd won an academy award.
Your God is already taken with you. Keep your eyes on Him and know this: Even when the rest of the world thinks you're painfully ordinary, He's overwhelmed with pride just to call you His.