Bond.

One of the most beautiful things I think anyone can witness is the immense bond between two people, be that siblings, partners, friends, or father and daughter just to name a few.

When I was a sophomore at TSU, a friend of mine introduced me to her little sister (who quickly became a good friend of mine) who was also very passionate performing arts. I had seen her in a show and saw how talented she was, so when she asked if she could shadow me at show choir rehearsals, and the musical rehearsals, of course I said yes. It was then, spring of 2011, that she was introduced to our professor (who just retired spring of 2019). He is known for being patient, loving, kind, humble, extremely giving and a very hard worker. His office door was always open to talk about anything. Most of the time, if he wasn't in his office, I would just sit in there for a moment of comfort and gaze onto the computer screen which pictured the Baker, Jack, Cinderella, and Little Red singing "No One Is Alone" from our production of Into The Woods (one of, if not his favorite song from his favorite musical).

The following year, she, my friend, started as a freshman at TSU. To say she was a ray of sunshine would be an understatement. Her joy, laughter, goofiness, and sincere heart was impossible to ignore. Very quickly she gained the respect as an actor and as a person in the department, and in our campus ministry. By her sophomore year, she was interning for our professor in the scene shop and continued to grow as a performer and person.

Over the years, she and I lost touch, only to be reunited at our professors retirement party a few weekends ago. When she arrived, all were drawn to her and her smile. When she spoke to anyone, even if she had just met them, she was so engaged in the conversation, it was like no one else was in the room. You were her world in that moment, and that kind of attention is rare to come by. As I saw my friend make her way around the room, she finally settled with her mentor, our professor, and held him by the shoulders. This man who had become a father figure, a best friend, was her full attention in that moment. As they held each others shoulders, looked into one another's eyes, and spoke words of encouragement, adoration, and thankfulness to have been in one another's live, they gained the attention of those surrounding them. Completely oblivious to the crowd, they continued their conversation as tears streamed down their faces.

Watching them, you couldn't help but be overwhelmed with love in that moment. Being a witness gave us on lookers a sense of worth, a sense of being, and a chance to share in that love. Two people who cared more about and gave their lives to those around them came together and presented a beautiful gift.

In that moment I saw a glimpse of heaven. I saw a glimpse of what I want my relationship with Christ to be. I saw a glimpse of how I am to interact with others. In that moment I saw the legacy I want to leave behind.

We have been talking about Isaiah 43:19:

See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.

And, I know for my friend, our professor, and myself, we have all struggled with our own questioning; our own moments of not feeling seen, or cringing of how we are perceived.

It was in this moment, that I saw Christ taking those doubts of ourselves, of our past, and making them new. The wasteland we thought of how we were is being seen in a different light, through the lens of Christ, and becoming a stream.

To my dear friend and sister, and my professor-my theatre family, I hope you know that the impact you made on my life is one that will last forever. Thank you for leaving your mark of a mouse hole to remind me of all of the love and joy there is in this world. Sometimes, we just have to work a little to see it.

Until Monday,

Cheers,

Sam Jo.