Monday, October 29, 2012

No Escape

Yesterday I told the kids this story from my past:

After college, I toured with a Christian singing and drama group called The Agape Players.  During our summer training in Lake Wales, FL, we learned that our individual tour groups would be "like a family," riding a bus together for several hours each day.  I perceived a problem with that, because these were independent, fundamentalist, separatist Baptists - Billy Graham was too liberal for them.  The two-week seminar on the evils of "so-called Christian rock music" failed to convince me, but the co-founder of the organization assured me that she trusted me not to spread my false beliefs, so I proceeded with the program, reading Romans 14 multiple times each day ("let him who eats not despise the one who doesn't").

Once our tour group started up the East Coast, my frustrations grew.  After our nightly stay in host homes, we had thirty minutes of quiet time, then gathered for reflection.  Often one of the tour members would share, "My family seemed like a great Christian family, but then I saw" an Amy Grant album, a can of beer, or something else which would have disqualified my own family in his or her eyes.  The effort of biting my tongue became too much for my young mind, and I began to devise means of escaping.  I didn't think they would let me leave, so I plotted how I could sneak away and find my way to an airport, where my parents would have a ticket waiting.  My free time (thankfully, there wasn't much) was consumed with these thoughts and fears.

Finally, I called home to get my parents to buy this airplane ticket.  Mom informed me that Dad wasn't home, so I poured out the story to her.  Though sympathetic, she knew Dad would have to make a decision like that; I would have to call again the next night and she would make sure he was there.  After hearing the whole mess, Dad cleared his throat and said, "Well, Kari, you made a one-year commitment to Agape.  I don't think you should quit."  I hung up in despair and a couple of weeks later, we went through the same routine.  The second time I hung up, I knew there was no way my father was ever going to let me quit.  Interestingly enough, six weeks later, as we pulled into Florida for our Christmas break, I realized that I was happy.  I hadn't made a conscious decision to make the best of it, but apparently when I gave up the possibility of leaving, my mindset changed and I was able to brush off our disagreements and appreciate the many fine qualities of my fellow Players.  We keep in touch with five of them to this day.

2 comments:

Unknown said...

Alice Adkins passed away yesterday April 2 2015 Memorial April 11 at Grace Bible Baptist Leesburg Fl

Unknown said...

Alice Adkins passed away yesterday April 2 2015 Memorial April 11 at Grace Bible Baptist Leesburg Fl