Be Yourself!

Let's talk....
There's an old story that I heard from the late great Sydney J. Harris who used to write a column that was carried in the Detroit Free Press. It was about an actor who was working with a touring company, but got stranded in a small town when the show closed.

Soon this actor ran out of money - his only talent was acting, and there were no plays running in that small town. Desperation began to set in when he received an eviction notice at his hotel. The actor had to find some cash, and fast!

While walking aimlessly down the street and pondering his troubles, he bumped into a man and began to apologize for his carelessness. The man assured him it was alright, and then a flash of recognition crossed his face:

"Hey, aren't you the guy who was in that play awhile back?"
"Yes." responded the actor "That was me."
"Why, I loved your acting! What are you in now?" the stranger asked.
"Right now, I'm kind of between jobs if you know what I mean." replied the actor.
"Hey, if you've got a few minutes I've got a proposition for you that might help you out." stated the stranger.

Well, it turns out that this man owned the local Zoo, and because it was a small town there wasn't much money for big attractions. He said he would pay the actor $50.00 a week to dress up in a costume and pose as a Gorilla. The thought wounded the actor's pride, but the thought of the cash....

So, soon the actor was in place at the Zoo. At first he didn't know quite what to do, but as the children began to gather - the "ham" in him began to come out.
Soon he was the main attraction at the Zoo. The folks loved him.

One day (feeling particularly "hammy") he tried a stunt he'd never tried before - he leaped from the low 'monkey-bars' all the way up to the highest.... and he almost made it, but his grip slipped as he tried to catch that top bar and he tumbled over the wall of his cage and landed smack in the middle of the cage next door. The Lions cage!

When he shook himself and realized where he was, he began to holler - "Help! Help!". It was then he looked up and saw a huge Lion swiftly approaching him, franticly he hollered - "HELP! HELP!" but no help was to be found. His heart trembled in his body as he lifted his eyes into those of the Lion. Then he heard the Lion speak these words:

"Shut up fool! You'll get us all fired!"

The moral of this story is that whoever you are will surely come out when you're in the Lion's Den. Be yourself and you'll never have to worry about betraying your character....

This morning's song - "Video" by India Arie from the 2001 CD 'Acoustic Soul' another reminder to be yourself.... and treasure the you that God made.

So, JSATCS!


We'll talk....