Winners and Losers

 "Guide us waking, O Lord, and guard us sleeping; that awake we may watch with Christ, and asleep we may rest in peace."

Last night I took Peanut to a new theater to audition for a play.

We had little information (come with a song prepared) and didn't know what to expect. We entered to find new, and old, theater friends auditioning as well.

There were a lot of kids auditioning. Many more than we had expected.

Google says 19 roles.

Tomorrow when the cast list is released there will be "winners" and "losers."

Kids who were cast.

And kids who were not.

Kids who prepared, practiced, did the hard thing and sang on stage alone. And were not picked.

Who you are as a "winner" and a "loser" says a lot about your character.

Tomorrow, we will make space for both those chosen and those not.

Regardless of which side we are on.

We will be empathetic that doing a hard thing and then not being picked is worthy of grief.

Make space for how some thought this would go did not happen.

We will be supportive and happy for those who are picked. Whether we are or not.

Make space for a realized dream.

Tomorrow we will still be people of good character regardless of what the cast list says.

We will not make judgmental or hateful comments about people not chosen. Or those chosen.

We will continue to work hard, love others and be followers of Jesus.

We will continue to grow.

Mama Warriors, I feel like I woke up today and the cast the list has been posted.

Some are grief stricken.

Some are exuberantly joyful.

Few can make space for the opposite.

Who you are on the winning side, or losing side, says a lot about YOU.

What you say, what you share, what you comment on - says something about YOUR character.

Let us make space for each other today, and every day, by choosing to remember who we are and WHOSE we are.