Flipping the Script: Unexpected Lessons in Letting Your Light Shine
by Kyrie Hertz (Student at The Oaks Classical Christian Academy in Spokane, WA)
Can the Lord guide us in nudges? I think so. And over the past few years, I have been feeling nudged in a particular direction more and more often.
Opportunities tend to get me excited. In my time as a student at The Oaks Classical Christian Academy, I have loved the many different opportunities to incorporate the arts into daily life. From Cantabile (a time when the whole school gathers together to sing hymns), to being required to either play an instrument or sing in the choir, to our theater and conservatory programs, I have been blessed to be a part of them. First nudge.
I am also blessed with wonderful life-long examples of people with differing abilities. John, my cousin with Down’s syndrome, was the light of our family, and although he passed away five years ago, his light remains. My God-sister, Anna, has an extremely rare, life-altering disease that she’s overcome every day for nineteen years through warrior-like effort. These individuals, whom many refer to as having “disabilities,” have been some of the most inspirational and supportive people in my life, perhaps because of their other limitations and challenges. I have always wanted to pay forward the lessons and love they’ve given me, but I could never quite put my finger on how to do it. During the past few years, that feeling grew into a deep desire to show the world their example of how to live life the right way. The beautiful way. I realized that not only I, but all of us, have so much to learn from them. Second nudge.
I believe that the Lord blesses us with various gifts and that we are to use them to praise Him and serve others. While I’ve been a part of musical theater camps and productions at many levels—from children’s theater to professional theater—I couldn’t remember ever seeing actors with disabilities or special needs in any of these productions. This gave me an idea: Why not start a theater camp for campers of differing abilities, one that allowed them to shine? Big third nudge.
From these nudges—which I believe were from the Lord—emerged a goal: to offer a musical theater camp for campers with special needs. This camp would allow them to enjoy all aspects of theater in a supportive and loving environment that glorified Christ and to get the chance to shine their lights on stage for all to see.
I have always loved how The Oaks has a long-term plan to become a school that offers special education services, and I was grateful for their enthusiasm to partner with me when I presented the idea for this camp. Eventually, after months and months of preparation, everything was finally set and ready to go in the summer of 2024. All that was left was the actual week of Camp!
I was extremely excited on the first day of camp, and while I love jumping into opportunities, this was definitely out of my comfort zone. We had an incredible and experienced staff, but my nerves started to creep in. Then, our first camper walked in with a presence as big as the sun. His excitement immediately calmed me. There were hugs and high fives all around. The same thing happened with almost every camper’s arrival. This was not like any camp entrance I’d ever experienced, that’s for sure! Though there were usual first-day jitters, this was different—this was the first time I had ever seen such welcoming and friendly attitudes between campers. Although most had never met, they immediately connected like old friends. We heard them comment that they loved each other after meeting less than an hour before, radiating a joy that was contagious.
As I watched, I thought, Why don’t we—those of us considered to have “all” abilities—greet each other this way, with a natural jubilance, excitement, and love for life and each other? Why don’t we start our mornings with hope and trust in what the day will bring? How could we overflow with this contagious joy? I was already learning from my campers before camp had even officially begun, and it didn’t end there.
I started the first session by asking if anyone would like to open us in prayer. To my surprise, eight hands shot up into the air—they all wanted to pray! Each day, the campers offered personal, unhurried, beautiful prayers to begin and end our time. Their words expressed love for one another, and gratefulness for our time and for what God was doing at camp. They were the most beautiful prayers I had ever heard. The campers weren’t nervous to speak in front of everyone, or overly careful to make sure they said the right things. Praying just came naturally to them! Their attention to detail in describing the beauty of the friendships they made and their thankfulness to God for the gift of being together in community left our camp staff in awe…and tears.
I will admit that not everything about camp was joyful. As the week progressed, these trusting souls opened up about their burdens. When one of our campers shared something hard that was happening in her life, the campers immediately decided to gather around her and pray for her. Again, one of the campers volunteered to lead.
At moments like this, the staff campers were hit with the realization that we were learning so much more than we were teaching. THIS was how we should pray. THIS was how we should live: with gratitude and joy, our hearts on fire for our Lord, and our hands racing into the air at the opportunity to pray out loud. THIS was the pace we should keep: slower, more intentional, taking time to look someone in the eye or end a conversation with a long, strong hug. And we shouldn’t be afraid to tell others that we love them!
At the end of the week, the Lord’s true direction for the camp was clear to me. While I knew the campers enjoyed their time learning lines, doing choreography, and performing—and they really were incredible, naturally talented actors—what was most delightful was the gift they gave our staff and audience. It was a lesson in what matters most and a challenge to show up in the world differently as we lead, love, and serve. We left camp energized and blessed with new priorities and already missing our new friends. It was the most unexpected yet best gift I could have ever received.
Our camp’s theme verse, Matthew 5:16, says, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” And I believe that this beautiful group of campers with differing abilities did just that: I thought that I was giving them a special opportunity, but they spent four days teaching me about letting my light shine. After all of the Lord’s gentle nudges leading up to camp, this was probably the most important one of all. “Hide it under a bushel, no! I’m gonna let it shine—let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.”
