Jonathan's Play

Jonathan was eight years old, but he was still just in the 2nd grade. It wasn’t that his birthday fell at a weird time, in fact he would soon be 9 a full two years older than most other people in his class. You see Jonathan had a form of Cerebral Palsy, that palsy didn’t effect his mind. He was as bright as any almost 9 year old, but it did effect his speech and he had his hands would tremble while he was trying to do his work. The other kids never really made fun of him, but they did stare at him and leave him by himself at recess. He didn’t want to give them any other reason to leave him out so he refused to talk in class and really didn't care much about his work. So even though his teachers tried to help him out he still ended up a grade behind.

There wasn’t much that he liked to do, but one of the things that Jonathan liked to do was sing. He wasn’t a great singer by anyone’s standards. He had the voice that only a mother could love and even she would have to admit that it wasn’t the greatest voice in the world.

One day at church the director of the Children’s choir approached him and said, “Jonathan, I heard you like to sing, would you like to be in the Children’s Christmas Musical?”

Jonathan didn’t really know what to say. He knew she was just being nice to him, and that she didn’t really want him messing up her musical, but he did love music so he decided to go to the rehearsals.

Once there he knew that the teacher didn’t really want him to sing even though she kept asking him to. She was just being nice. But Jonathan liked the music so he agreed to be the stage manager and turn the lights off and on.

They practiced for weeks for the big show. Jonathan was at every practice. Always there doing his part. When he thought no one was looking he would sing along with the other kids.

The night before the big show Kyle Clemment got the flu. He was achy and coughing and puking all over the place, and he was supposed to sing a solo.

At the rehersal the choir teacher was trying to figure out who would sing the solo. No one was willing to do it.

As she was asking for volunteers the janitor who was there to lock the doors spoke up. “Jonathan can do it.” He said, “I watch him when you guys sing. He knows ever part in this thing. He can do it.”

Jonathan immediately balked at the idea. And frankly so did some of the students. They didn’t want him messing up their play.

The janitor though was persistent. “You can do it Jonathan. I’ve believe in you, I know you can”

Finally Jonathan consented. He couldn’t believe he was finally in the play, but even still he didn’t think he would do a good job.

The night of the play came and Jonathan got up to sing his solo. His singing wasn’t good. Frankly it was still the same voice that even a mother would have trouble praising. He couldn’t form all of the words, and he didn’t hit a single right note, but no one left that room the same as they walked in. They were all transformed. Not by his singing, or his words, but by the look on Jonathan’s face.

Throughout the entire song his eyes never moved from the face of the Janitor sitting in the front row. He stared at the Janitor and sang his song, and the look on his face wass one that everyone in that auditorium longed for. It was the look of someone who is exactly where he wants to be doing exactly what he loved to do. He couldn’t sing the right notes, but he loved to sing. He took a risk, and boy did it feel wonderful.

THE END 

To Audience:God is calling you to do just what Jonathan did. To stop just going through the motions and get in the game. It may be risky, but you have God supporting you the whole way. And the great thing is when you let God move through you lives he can change the world.