Behind the Scenes

Manuel rushed onto the stage, set some props in place, picked up some others, and rushed back off. He was the head prop person for the play the youth group was putting on at church.

When the performance ended, Manuel finished what he had to do and picked up his jacket. He sighed loudly as he walked out of the auditorium and started down the church steps.

Pastor Weber stopped him as he was coming up the stairs. "Congratulations on the fine job you did on the play!" he said. "But why the big sigh? Are you tired?"

"Yeah, I guess so," Manuel said. "Tired and discouraged about...about some other stuff."

"I'm sorry to hear that," said the pastor. "Care to talk about it?"

Manuel shrugged, but then he decided to share his problem. "It's my dad," he said. "Mom and I are saved, but Dad isn't. I don't want him to be--" Manuel hesitated--"to be lost for all eternity. Mom and I have prayed and prayed for Dad, and I know you and the people here at church have too, but it hasn't done any good. We keep trying to help him understand what Jesus did for him, but he's still the same."

"Wait a minute, Manuel," said Pastor Weber. "How do you know our prayers haven't done any good? How do you know your dad is the same?"

Manuel was surprised. "I sure don't see any change," he said.

"But you can't see inside his heart, Manuel," Pastor Weber reminded him. "It's a little like the play you just worked so hard on. The audience couldn't see all the behind-the-scenes work that took place to make it a success."

Manuel remembered all the rehearsals and rushing around to set the stage while the curtain was closed.

"God often does a lot of behind-the-scenes work too," Pastor Weber continued. "Our prayers and our witness are part of the unseen things that will bring final results."

Manuel nodded. "So we have to keep at it, don't we?"

"Yep," Pastor Weber said. "Keep at it and trust God to bring the change according to His will." A. W. Smith