Behind the Scenes

The star of a sports team tends to be the flashiest player. The loudest applause normally goes to the star of a show. The winner of an election usually seems to be the contender most in the spotlight. Popularity contests. Awards. Recognition. Praise. We all know the type of person we immediately think of. 

And yet, the MVP of the sports team has a trainer that cares for them beautifully when needed. The star of a show walks across a set constructed by a lowly stage-hand. The winner of the election is only in the spotlight because some unknown person is operating the darn thing. 

There are so many different roles to play. And these roles all need each other. 

So how come we tend to value some as more important than others?

When I graduated college, with a fire and passion under my cap and gown, I was convinced that I would go out and set the world on fire. I was convicted that I had a purpose and a calling in life. And in my eyes, that could only mean that I was somehow going to seriously shake things up, contribute something meaningful, be the change I wanted to see in the world. 

To put it bluntly, I was pretty arrogant. Because I thought having a mission and a purpose meant that I would do something visible. 

And I believe that’s a lie we all tend to believe. When we think about world-changers, we think big names. When we think about influencers, we jump to massive global scale. We think about the authors, the activists, the politicians, the creators, the founders, the house-hold names. 

And I don’t think this is just a secular reality. I believe we do this in our Church! When we think of who is making a big difference in the world, we jump to the “Catholic famous.” The podcasts, the books, the talks, the organizations, the missions, the conferences. 

And the people in those roles are crushing it! Please don’t stop!

But stepping off that stage in my graduation regalia, the lie I started to believe was that in order to be making a difference, in order to have a mission and a purpose, I had to be living up to that same potential. 

Basically, I believed that the more visible something is, the more valuable it is. 

But most people are not the star of the sports team. Most people are not the leading lady of the show. How many more people are behind the scenes, getting the little tasks done, never even setting foot on stage? But let me assure you of this: we would definitely miss them if they never showed up. 

If we all tried to be the star, would there even be one? 

As humans, we love affirmation. We love praise. We love recognition and awards and honor. And if I’m not gonna get that just by just having my name in small print somewhere in the credits, why in the world should I be satisfied with just that? Shouldn’t I be seeking the higher seats of honor? 

But, at least right now in my current season of life, I am not being called to that higher seating. Much of the vocation and calling the Lord is asking of me right now will never be globally recognized. Much of the gift of self I am called to give right now can feel like it’s on a very small scale. I have one kiddo at home currently, and he and my husband are the primary recipients of my love and attention. 

No one would ever consider me an influencer. 

And sometimes my heart rebels against this. Sometimes I brokenly wish I could shirk my responsibilities in order to do other things more publicly, to gain a wider audience, to hear more recognition and praise. 

But maybe, actually, being behind the scenes is drastically more important than I tend to think it to be. Maybe fulfilling the day to day hidden tasks of my state in life is actually the holiness to which God is calling me. 

Maybe the invisible can actually be extremely valuable.