Christian Living

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When my youngest son announced that he had a part in the third grade Thanksgiving play, I immediately envisioned him in full Pilgrim or Native American costume.

Excited, I asked, “What part did you get?”

“Mashed potatoes.”

Huh?

“I’m playing the mashed potatoes,” he repeated, handing me a rumpled script that contained his two lines, the drum-roll line being, “WHAT WOULD THANKSGIVING BE WITHOUT MASHED POTATOES?!”

Speaking from experience, I can say that spud-less feasts are no fun. My family learned this last Thanksgiving when several of us were kinda-sorta on the South Beach Diet, resulting in mashed potatoes being axed from the menu. We missed them. By the time Christmas dinner arrived, South Beach had been rescheduled for after the New Year, and mashed potatoes were back with a fluffy, carb-filled vengeance.

We refer to last Thanksgiving as the one “we didn’t have mashed potatoes at.” That’s how it’s identified and remembered.

Isn’t it amazing how one missing element changes the dynamics of something? It doesn’t have to be the key piece that goes MIA; those supportive, “side dish” elements often play a bigger role than we realize.

It happens with people, too. Many folks don’t realize the importance of their contributions, and refer to themselves as “just a…” Sadly, other people might view them in the same “just a” way—we’ve all known someone who showed little respect for those who serve behind the scenes, often underpaid, underappreciated and sometimes…

Underestimated.

Wasn’t David “just” a shepherd boy, probably no more than 16, when he faced off with Goliath and sank the bronze-clad, super-sized big-mouth with a single stone from a slingshot? (1 Samuel 17)

Weren’t Andrew, Peter, James and John “just” guys casting their fishing nets in the Sea of Galilee when Jesus signaled them out to be disciples? (Matthew 4: 18-22)

The moral? You never know what a person might become. You’ve probably heard the expression, “God doesn’t call the equipped; He equips the called,” and it’s a truth that’s left many people uttering a big “oops.” Take a well known university founder who pronounced a college-aged Billy Graham a failure, and predicted that more failure awaited him down the road. 1

Even if a person doesn’t advance to “bigger and better” things, it doesn’t mean their contributions lack impact. Truth is, when it comes to this production called “Life on Earth,” few people have their name in lights. For most of us, supporting roles are the norm and that’s fine because, from God’s directorial viewpoint, nobody is “JUST” anything.

Paul used the human body as an analogy for this. “The eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I don’t need you!’ And the head cannot say to the feet, ‘I don’t need you!’ On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor.” (1 Corinthians 12: 21-23, NIV)

A friend and I once directed a children’s production of Oliver Twist. We had a cast of 76 kids, including a slew of pick-pockets, orphans, chimneysweeps, police bobbies and townspeople. Though their parts were supportive and their lines minimal, it was these cast members who filled the gaps and kept the main characters connected throughout the play. Without them, the story could not have been told--and isn’t that the case with many things? Star running backs don’t reach the end zone without blockers clearing the path, and even the most nautically-gifted captain needs a crew to help sail a ship across the ocean.

Bottom line, we’re created to work together (Romans 12:4-5), and are given different gifts and service to glorify the same God (1 Corinthians 12: 4-6). Does God need us to make the world go ‘round? No, but he wants us to help, and allows us the privilege, so wherever He’s cast us, let’s perform with the humble and obedient attitude of Christ. (Philippians 2: 5-11)

And, let’s remember to appreciate the work of others, and be quick to “encourage one another and build each other up.” (1 Thessalonians 5:11) When we do, “the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.” (Ephesians 4:16)

We’re all in this show together—let’s break a leg, and encourage fellow cast members to break theirs, too.




1 Just As I Am, the Autobiography of Billy Graham, Chapter 3, Called to Preach, p. 41

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