IF ONLY LIFE WERE LIKE HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL

I finally caught up with entertainment times and watched the movie High School Musical. I simply had to find out what all the hype was about. So when a friend insisted “You’ll LOVE this movie,” and handed me a copy to borrow, I mirowaved some popcorn, wrapped up in a blanket, and kicked back for a night of mindless Disney fun. I laughed my head off over the exaggerated version of high school life. Seriously, name one school with enough funding for a gigantic mural of its hottest basketball star or a cafeteria that’s big enough for the entire student body to dance in. My school didn’t even have a cafeteria. We had to eat outside. On rainy days we could eat in the halls or, if you didn’t mind advertising your status as a band geek, huddled in the music room.

I have never seen so much clear skin, perfect hair, and natural ability to sing and dance on cue. Everyone from the jocks to the nerds to the shiest of the shy girls could belt out a tune like a Broadway star. It was like Fame without the swearing and immorality (am I dating myself by mentioning Fame? I was totally addicted to that series in the ‘80s). Actually, it was better than Fame because I could allow my kids to watch it.

You know what? I loved every minute of this cheesy, unrealistic ‘tween phenomenon known as High School Musical! Who couldn’t love spending ninety minutes in a world where all of life’s problems are answered in a spontaneous and perfectly choreographed song? Where, no matter how intense the rivalries, in the end, everyone becomes friends, proclaiming, “We’re all in this together!” And they really seem to mean it! Wouldn’t it be cool to have the guts to toss aside all the peer pressure and be that person inside who is “just dying to get out?” What if, on top of that, all of your friends, after seeing how gifted you were, supported your change in extracurricular activities and began revealing their hidden talents as well?

Ah, wouldn’t it be nice?

Being a devotional writer, I have a tendency to look for a spiritual application in just about everything. High School Musical was no exception. It dawned on me this morning that, in the body of Christ, we can find many of the wonderful things that left me thinking, wouldn’t it be nice if . . .

For example, the answers to all of life’s questions may not be found in the words of a spontaneous song, but they are available to us in the Word of God at any time—no singing or dancing ability required.

When we begin to connect with our brothers and sisters in Christ we often find that, despite our differences, we truly are “all in this together.” In good times and bad (when we need our friends the most), we have a unique bond.

No matter what others think of us or expect from us, we are loved by One who not only knows our deepest dreams, but planted them in our hearts with a plan to one day give us the confidence to let them shine.

Best of all, we have hope that one day, life will not be like High School Musical. It will be countless times better—when we reach our eternal home where everyone will have flawless skin, perfect hair, ability to sing and dance on cue, and no peer pressure to hold us back.

There may even be a cafeteria, big enough for all of us to dance in!