A few random “God-moments” from the production of our church’s Easter play, “Rigoletto.”
On Friday (two days before the play was scheduled to open), I was at Goodwill Thrift Store, shopping for a few last-minute costume pieces for the play. I had a handwritten list with me of the things I was shopping for, as well as all the other tasks I had to accomplish that evening before the final dress rehearsal the next day. I spent less than ten minutes shopping, rang up my purchases, and headed for the door, where I noticed that I no longer had the vital list.
In a panic, I began searching the section of the store where I had been shopping. Under clothing racks, in the fitting rooms, and more, I searched. I asked the cashiers and fitting room attendants if they had found any papers lying on the ground – nothing. Priscilla called me just then, and when I told her what was going on, she prayed with me. Carrying all my purchases and things out to the car, I searched the car, but to no avail. One last time, I went back into the store, looking again on the ground, and asking the fitting room attendant if anyone else had been working in this area. Tears were already forming in my eyes by this point, because when I write something on a list, I put it completely out of my mind. There were probably twenty five or thirty “to do’s” written on that list, and I knew there was no way I would remember all of them – some things would be missed.
Just then, another employee was walking toward me, with a “manager” nametag. I asked her if she had seen any pieces of paper on the floor in the last fifteen minutes, and she asked, “Did it look like a piece of stationery?” Yes, it did! She said, “Oh, I picked it up, and it’s in the trash, let me see if it’s still there.” And with that, she went into the employee area of the store, and retrieved my crumpled list from the garbage can. With a choking sigh of relief, I thanked her, and turned to leave the store.
It was then I realized that she was going home for the day, and I had passed her only because I was in the right part of the large store, in her path between the employee area and the front doors. As I headed toward the door, the cashier who had helped me yelled out “Did you find it?” “Yes, I did!” I replied, “I prayed, and then we found it!”
When I got to my car, the tears I had been holding back came freely. They were tears of the pent-up emotion, of relief, and of thankfulness to a faithful God.
That evening I stayed up until almost four in the morning finishing tasks for the play, and woke up three hours later to accomplish more last minute details. All day Saturday was the dress rehearsal, and Saturday evening I was up yet again until almost three in the morning, finishing more tasks for the production. As I crawled into bed Saturday night, I made sure the clock was set to wake me up, and my cell phone alarm was set as well. Two nights in a row with that little sleep was a perfect recipe for me oversleeping. I had to be at church early to begin doing makeup on cast members. I shot a quick prayer up, “Lord, please, whatever happens to the alarms and my body, please help me to wake up on time in the morning.” This prayer has saved me so many times I’ve lost track. Countless times after little sleep nights, when big projects are due, the Lord has faithfully woken me up despite my exhaustion or alarm-clock malfunction. Not always would I wake up as early as I had planned, but it was always just enough time to get where I needed to go.
When I woke up the next morning to clanking sounds coming from the kitchen, my alarm clock said 8:26 – I was supposed to be at church by 8:30. In a panic, I bolted out of bed and jumped in the shower. While scrubbing my hair, I irritatedly commented in my head, “Lord, You were supposed to wake me up on time!” Without missing a beat, I heard a reply in my thoughts, “I did!”
“Okay, whatever,” I thought. I didn’t’ even know what to make of that reply. Dressing, loading up the car, and speeding over to church, I arrived twenty minutes after I should have been there. Two actors should have already been waiting for me to do their makeup, and the staff who unlock the building would have been there thirty minutes ago. Yet somehow, the parking lot was empty. No cars except mine. The building was locked. In confusion, I picked up my cell phone to call my mom. My phone said 7:50 am. Ransacking my brain to understand what was happening, it occurred to me that our alarm clock is designed to automatically adjust itself for daylight savings time. However, the government changed daylight savings time adjustment dates, so the clock no longer helps. In fact, it had clearly changed itself an hour ahead, when no adjustment was necessary. With a chuckle, I remembered the comment from the Lord. He had woken me up on time after all; I just didn’t know it yet!
I had plenty of time to casually unload my car, prepare my makeup area, fix some small problems, etc. even before anyone else arrived. I was peaceful, happy, prepared, and on time. Amazing!
