A friend once told me not to fear and not to avoid the time behind the curtain. If you're like me, you're probably now picturing the draperies hanging from a rod secured above your bedroom window--white, sheer, and flowy perhaps. Or maybe a fab deco pattern in fantastic colors designed to help your decor 'pop'. Regardless, if you're like me, you're wondering--what curtain is this person talking about? And why in the world should I fear the array of fabric that lies suspended above my windows? I didn't get it. In fact I'm still figuring it out. But one thing I do believe... that my friend was not referring to the outdated fabric hanging from my unsightly curtain rods. Nope. This curtain is much, much bigger.
I have never been much of one for theatre performances, although I think my apathetic stance towards them is more highly correlated with my lack of opportunity to experience them rather than actual distaste. Nonetheless, theatre is not something I have been overly excited about. With one exception.
I don't remember the name of the performance my high school arts class attended that day, but I remember the details. The intriguing plot that centered around the mystery of a small-town murder. The intricate costumes that supported the character development beautifully. The seat that became my personal teleportation device into another time and place as I became enthralled with every nuance of the story I had been invited into. The curtain. I remember the curtain well. It was thick, velvety, and a deep shade of red. And it was mysterious. I can't remember how many times during that sub 3-hour theatre performance the curtain was lowered and raised. But one thing I do remember--that every time the curtain was lifted after a brief few minutes of silence (that seemed like hours to one so intrigued with the story) something was different. Sometimes items in the set had been removed or moved around. Sometimes the setting had changed completely- from an outdoor country farm to an indoor city saloon. And sometimes...new characters were introduced. Each raise of the curtain was different, but each revealed the same truth--that during those few brief moments of silence and "curtain down time", there was radical work going on behind the scenes to prepare the performance to continue. Yes--regardless of my impatient desire for the show to go on immediately, the "time behind the curtain" was necessary for the story to continue as it was written.
Boom. Light Bulb. Fireworks. Explosion inside my brain! "Do not fear and do not avoid the time behind the curtain." The older I get and the more I experience, the more I come to understand that life is a journey. It can't be summarized with a word, nor can it be confined to a specific path. But life, I have come to learn, is much like the murder-mystery theatre performance that intrigued me in high school. It has been written for us. There are plots and scenes and characters...there are "pivotal moments" and seemingly mundane interactions. Even makeup and costumes make their appearances as we strive to "fit the part" that we believe we should be playing. And....there is a curtain. A big one. One that sometimes comes down when we least expect it--when we feel like the story is plodding along quite nicely, or when we are "left hanging"--waiting to learn an outcome.
Just as any theatre performance is written in a certain manner to include scenes and acts and even curtain raises at the appropriate times, God is the author of our stories... and thus has written into our stories the times the curtain lowers and raises! If you're like me, the times of a "lowered curtain" can be frustrating. These are the times in life when we feel like our story is on hold. When we feel like we are simply waiting- just waiting for the curtain to raise so that we can see how the performance will continue. Little do we know that these times are so necessary...that it is during these times when our curtain is lowered that the Lord may be making radical changes in us--changes in scenery, changes in setting, changes in character--without which, the rest of the story could not take place!
Friends, God has recently given me a new perspective for the time I have spent behind the curtain. I have fought to keep my curtain raised. I have kicked, screamed, and done my darndest to keep it raised. There are times when maybe I have even succeeded at raising it a few inches- only to reveal a disorganized mess that wasn't able to support the next scene. So thankfully, God strapped my arms to my side in ways that I didn't expect so that I was unable to lift my curtain any further. And as I have sat backstage with Him and have watched him re-set the stage and orchestrate the next scenes in my life...I could not be more grateful! There have been settings removed that I thought I loved. Characters removed from my story that I thought were pivotal. And radical costume changes. But what is slowly beginning to emerge is so much more beautiful than the previous set...and in ways I couldn't imagine!
I can only imagine that some who may read this may feel their curtain closing. Or maybe you are behind a closed curtain- fighting against and simply waiting in frustration for it to re-open. This may look a thousand different ways--a season of rest where you feel you have been called to step back from things you love, and you don't know why. An illness that is keeping you from progressing as you would like. A time of hurt, pain, and frustration- when nothing seems to be going right. Job loss. Relocation. A rebellious heart. A curtain closing is never easy. But I promise you, friend, that the work going on behind the curtain is worth it. It is beautiful, it is intricate, and it is worth it! And it will allow your story to move forward in ways you never thought possible. So, my friend, do not fear or avoid the time behind the curtain! Rejoice in knowing that the changes that are taking place are more than you can imagine...God is good, and He is faithful to complete what He has started in you! (Phil 1:6).
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