Behind the Scenes

I was at a local establishment a few days ago, and while I preparing to leave, I overheard a waitress tell the kitchen, "The crisis center is here!" After some initial alarm, I watched three people arrive with large bowls and Tupperware containers, and leave laden with soup. Ah, I thought, this is one of those 'behind the scenes' type of things. 

Behind the scenes: it's like going to a theater, and seeing the actors perform, but not realizing there is an entire crew of people that rig the lights, prepare the costumes, and compose the music. It's a term I've often used for the circumstances that we, as humans, cannot see, but they are always there, waiting on the sidelines for us to notice them.

For example, have you seen a local buffet, and the "food they waste," but little did you know, they have donated racks of food to the mission every night? Did you know that local restaurant that never looks busy, donates it's soup to the crisis center for women and children? Did you know that the lady pushing her cart down the street, wearily looking for a bus, just got done volunteering at Head Start for 8 hours, and just wants to get home?

Did you see the mom at the grocery store, who looks so well put together, with freshly manicured nails and designer clothing? Her children are so well behaved, and she's only purchasing name brand items. But behind the scenes we find a different story. Her husband was just laid off, and their house will be foreclosed on. Her payments are late on her car, and she wakes up in a panic every morning wondering if it will still be in her driveway. 

We see her nails, her clothes, her perfect hair. But we don't see her heart ache, her anxiety, and her worry. We see her well behaved children, and we don't see that their time at private school is only going to be a memory. We see her get in her shiny car, but we don't see that in a few weeks or months, she will be driving a used and beat up SUV. 

There are many college students graduating this weekend. If you are watching any of the ceremonies, I encourage you to think "behind the scenes." That woman they just called, might have made it through college after 6 long years, as a single mom working 2 jobs and going to school. The man they just called, might have lost a loved one during college, and even though it was hard to continue, they still managed to graduate with honors. 

Everything passes us by in and instant and we never get time to think about it.  

It's like "don't judge a book by it's cover" only don't just look at the cover or the words of the book, like a theater, look at the key players that have brought them to where they are today. This week, I encourage you to think "behind the scenes."