Savior of the World: My thoughts and experiences so far...

There are just 4 weeks left until we perform in Savior of the World! I know I've mentioned it on the blog before (We've been rehearsing for the last 10 weeks after all : ) But in case you missed it,  it's a musical drama based on scriptural accounts of the birth and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  I am playing the part of Mary and Taber is Eli the shepherd and James the apostle.

We had a photographer come into our rehearsal last week and take some candid shots. We weren't in full costume or anything, (I think I'm just in my robe) but I wanted to share the pictures and some of my thoughts about the experience so far.

 When we first tried out for the play and saw the rehearsal schedule that required us to be there for 2 1/2  hours every Friday night and 4 hours every Saturday morning, I had some serious doubts.  I didn't know how we'd be able to make it work into our busy lives with work, church service, marathon training and taking care of our 3 little kiddos.  But we took a leap of faith and even though it has required sacrifice and long hours, this experience has been worth every minute of our time. 

The spirit I have felt in the rehearsals, the way it has brought to life my testimony of the Savior, the incredible friendships we have made with everyone in the play, all of it has been so amazing. 

I've been impressed with how well the girls have done at the rehearsals. They love playing with the other kids whose parents are in the play and have formed awesome new friendships. When Taber and I are on stage, other cast members help out in the nursery and it has been great to see everyone pull together to make sure the kids are taken care of and have a good time.

And then there's Cam, who is kind of like everyone's baby : ) 

He likes crawling through the rehearsals, helping with the piano music, and being fawned over by all the women and young women who are eager to hold him while I'm on stage.

And when the whole cast has to be on stage, the kids take over Cam duty. So many great helpers for our little guy : )

I know Taber and I have grown closer as we've put forth a team effort to get our family to the rehearsals, helped each other memorize lines, and discussed the moments in the play that have touched our hearts and inspired us to be better.

Putting ourselves in the the place of those who witnessed the miracles of Christ's birth and resurrection has taught me so much about the importance of faith and believing in things we don't always understand.  I can only imagine how Joseph must've felt when Mary told him she was with child before they were married,  yet he trusted in the Lord and chose to believe instead of doubt.

The shepherds were told that a tiny babe born in a stable would be the Savior of the World. It must've seemed strange to these people who were waiting for the messiah to come in mightiness and power, to find him as a helpless child in a manager. And yet they came and worshipped him. They believed in His divinity and went forth to tell and testify of Him.

For me, playing the part of Mary, I have felt so deeply the truth that He is the Son of God. Divinely conceived and brought to earth to be the Savior of the World.

The first time I imagined myself in Mary’s shoes, holding her newborn son, I thought of how I felt after each of my own children were born. How precious and pure they were, how much I adored them and how I would never allow anything to hurt or harm them. That’s when the magnitude of His sacrifice became so much deeper to me. Her perfect son, God’s perfect son, would suffer and die for us all. As I’ve pondered that, I am truly amazed at the debt that was paid so that my sins could be washed clean. Now when I sing songs like “I know that my Redeemer lives,”  I am struck at the reality of those words.  I know that He lives, that He is the son of God, and I’m grateful that this play has given me the opportunity to grow closer to Him.

We have 4 weeks to go before our performances and I honestly can't wait for people to come see this. I hope it touches their hearts as much as it has mine.

If you live in the New England area and want to see the play, the performances are at the church on 110 Concord Street in Nashua NH on April 6th at 7pm and April 7th at 2pm and 7pm. There is no charge for admission but you need to reserve your seats by emailing SaviorOfTheWorldNH@gmail.com.