There is no way I could ever summarize what God has done in my life through Christian Youth Theatre. I have been a part for 7 years- one third of my life. When I first started I was painfully shy, and God worked through CYT to bring me out of my shell. It was largely through CYT that God began to really take me deeper in my relationship with Him, and to teach me the power and beauty of prayer. He has given me the greatest friends I've ever had there, and it has been to me a second family where I am consistently challenged and encouraged in my walk with Him.
This past Saturday I worked backstage for what was possibly my very last play, and certainly my last for a long time. I was upstairs worshipping with the cast, wishing that time didn't fly by quite so fast, when they began singing "Never Once" by Matt Redman- a song I had never heard before. As I listened to these lyrics, I began to cry:
"Standing on this mountaintop
Looking just how far we’ve come
Knowing that for every step
You were with us
Kneeling on this battle ground
Seeing just how much You’ve done
Knowing every victory
Was Your power in us
Scars and struggles on the way
But with joy our hearts can say
Yes, our hearts can say
Never once did we ever walk alone
Never once did You leave us on our own
You are faithful, God, You are faithful"
Looking just how far we’ve come
Knowing that for every step
You were with us
Kneeling on this battle ground
Seeing just how much You’ve done
Knowing every victory
Was Your power in us
Scars and struggles on the way
But with joy our hearts can say
Yes, our hearts can say
Never once did we ever walk alone
Never once did You leave us on our own
You are faithful, God, You are faithful"
As memories flooded my heart, those words expressed what I was feeling better than I ever could have. It's true. Through every battle, every painful time of stretching, each time I was overwhelmed by the size of the task to which He had called me, every tear I ever cried, never once did I ever walk alone. He was always right there with me, guiding, upholding, shaping, and enabling. And all of the growth, every victory, is nothing more than a testament to His work on my behalf. Never once has He been anything but faithful.
As this sweet season draws to a close, it's hard to say goodbye. But it's bittersweet, because I know that Jesus is the One leading me forward, and He is the One who gave CYT it's sweetness in the first place. All of the things that matter most- the lessons He has taught me and the friendships He has built- won't disappear just because I'm not there anymore. And it's that history of past faithfulness that gives me confidence in moving forward to the next adventure... which will be the topic of my next post!
