in a row. The groups of students ranged from 7th to 12th graders, with some groups having only 13 teens and other groups having more than 100. Although we did things slightly different with each group, depending on what we felt like God wanted us to say specifically to that group of students, we always had some songs, introductions, testimonies, and a skit. The skit we did with each group was to the song “Everything” or some people know it simply as “the Lifehouse skit”. For those who haven’t seen it, you can watch it here… When we did this skit, I played the girl. I love acting, and I realized once again how alive I feel when I am on stage. For a few minutes, each time I went on stage, I was that girl. I was romanced by my Creator, was then enticed away, felt the terrible emptiness of a life that is “great” by worldly standards, and then felt the desperation to be back with the One who loves me like no other. My bruises came from the part of the skit where I let my “sins” hold me back. I am fighting against them, ramming against their arms, desperately trying to escape them, and yet I always got knocked back to the ground – bruises on my knees, hair in my face, and terribly out of breath. Over and over I would try, but the result was always the same. I couldn’t do it. They were too strong for me.
After putting out that much effort in the skit and feeling that exhausted, the relief I felt when Jesus (my teammate Jeff, in this case) pulled me out of their hold and protected me from their grabbing arms was immense. Even just acting it out, I felt real desperation and real relief. Jesus is offering that relief to all of us. He knows we’re sinners and we can’t do it ourselves. Life is tough, we all fail, and we all wind up with bruises along the way. None of us are perfect, and it’s good to remember that. We all need Someone standing in the gap, fighting off the junk that tries to hold us back. He has big plans for each of us, and none of those plans include sins keeping us from living to our full potential.
Just like the girl in the skit, allow Him to free you from what’s holding you down and cling to the One who created you. The relief is worth it.
