God And Your Season Of Preparation
The conversion of St. Paul is one of the great moments in the bible.
On the road to Damascus, St. Paul was blinded by the light of God. Three days later, he went to Damascus, regained his sight, and began to preach the word of God, in the synagogues.
However, after several days, something happened to St. Paul that is rarely noted.
He went away for three years.
Why did he do this?
I believe it was because it was his season of preparation.
During this season of preparation, many people believe that St. Paul went into relative seclusion, maybe even living as a desert hermit. Others believe, although he continued to preach, he was also absorbed in spending solitary time in the study of scriptures, and prayer.
In the mini-series Peter and Paul, St. Paul (portrayed by Anthony Hopkins) was incredibly frustrated during this time. He angrily lamented the fact that he wanted to go to Jerusalem and begin his full ministry.
However, his season of preparation continued for three full years.
It was after this season of preparation that God sent St. Paul out to fulfill the works that God had put before him and begin his season of the harvest.
In the end, St. Paul was responsible for nearly half of the New Testament and was a pillar in the spreading of the Christian faith.
I think this is how God works in our lives.
There is a purpose for each of our lives; something that God planned for you and me to do while we are here on earth.
That is a wonderful thought, isn’t it?
When I first began acting, they were having auditions for a movie called St. Elmo’s Fire. All the young stars, of the day, were auditioning, and I was asked to read with them.
In other words, I wasn’t good enough to audition for the roles in the movie but was considered good enough to read with the actors while they auditioned.
All the young stars came in that day, and I read with all of them.
When the day was finished, I went back to my apartment and my best friend Gary Hershberger (who you see in all my movies) called me and he asked me one question, “How good are we compared to them?”
I said, “On our best day we are as good as them, but on a normal day, they are better than us.”
It was humbling to say that.
It was like knowing there was a team that you were not good enough to play on… yet.
We had just begun acting and they were more experienced than us.
However, I was not dissuaded.
I knew this was my season of preparation for the work God had put in front of me.
So, I studied acting day and night, I learned screenwriting, I took more dance classes than I could ever count.
I worked as hard as I could through my season of preparation because I believed in my heart, I was doing the work God wanted me to do and one day… the season of the harvest would come.
And I would be ready.
It has been many, many years since that St. Elmo’s Fire audition. I find it so interesting that nearly every one of those actors (some who were so famous) that were ahead of us that day have quit acting, gone to another profession or had a few acting roles here and there.
I can guarantee you that if someone would have stood up and asked, “Who do you think, in this room, will still have a career, thirty-five years from now?”, I would have been the last person picked.
Honestly, I’m not sure I would have picked myself.
Yet here I am making these faith-based movies that are touching so many lives.
It is a strange and humbling feeling to be partaking in my harvest season and looking around to see so many others have packed up and gone home.
By the way, speaking of the harvest season, I wanted to let you know that the premier of my new movie, A Marriage Made in Heaven, has been pushed back to late September or early October. We’ve had such an incredible response to the Virtual Screening that we need more time to accommodate everyone who is interested.
Whether you are in your season of preparation or your season of harvest, I wish you continued success in your fulfilling the work God has put before you.
Keep the faith,
Robert