Improv(ing) God's will

Many of my favorite moments took place in any given improv class I took or as part of the traveling improv comedy and drama team I was part of for several years. While there is technique to improv, it is a lot of creating details around and within a framework of smaller prompts. Many of our classes took place outside where we could receive these prompts from passers-by...or from the audience at shows.

You may only know where your character is (setting) or a problem to overcome (conflict). You may only know a character trait. The rest of the plot you fill in with improv. You learn how to best interact with fellow actors in order to make your character stronger and help the scene stay alive. You follow improv rules and technique to help give to the scene and your fellow actors.

When many of us wait to hear God's voice in our lives, we are thinking we get to be character actors like Moses with God's cosmic voice speaking the script in perfect English (or at least in KJV Old English). When he does not do this for us, we start to doubt and assume he no longer speaks.

Today, God gives you a setting and a scene. He gives you a conflict to overcome. The rest is improv.

The rest is opportunity for your character to grow. To learn. The rest is opportunity for you to learn his rules and contribute to the scene, to give to your fellow actors.

Some scenes will fall drastically flat and fail miserably, but that is improv. It's life! Tomorrow God will give you another scene with new prompts to interact with.