Drama is for the Theatre - Amy Sapp
When first attempting to come up with a title for this article, my first thought was “Drama is for Middle School”. But truth be told, drama isn’t meant for our young people either. The full meaning of the word “drama” is a written work that tells a story through action and speech and is meant to be acted on stage: play.
To be dramatic is to over exaggerate. Many of us over the years have at some point been involved in either being in a church Christmas play or being part of directing one. We all know when we are practicing, we are trying to get the kids to over express or emphasize their actions or their words. This is exactly where drama should be used, to get the point across as they are acting. Key word here is acting. It is not real life. When working with the children involved in the play, typically it is harder to get them to be dramatic, because everyone is watching.
In real life, we should not, as parents, teach our children to be dramatic as if they were acting on a stage. The very best lessons in life are often learned by example, or our testimony. The two age groups that I have noticed after working with young people for many years that are usually more dramatic are teenagers and college-aged girls. Have you ever heard the phrase, “Like mother, like daughter.” Often, when we hear a phrase like that you can go back to scripture and find the source where it came from. This saying came from the second part of Ezekiel 16:44 “Behold, every one that useth proverbs shall use this proverb against thee, saying, As is the mother, so is her daughter.”
What does this mean? It means it is natural for the daughter to inherit some traits or qualities which her mother used to have or some of her habits that remind others of her mother. These could be wonderful traits, or they may not be something that you would be proud to say your daughter inherited. The best way to help our children learn not to be full of drama is for us, as their examples to not be overly dramatic. So how can we do that? Here are some simple steps that we can place into our own lives as well as teaching them to our young people when the drama involves another party. Because drama will most likely always involve someone else.
See it for what it is, before it becomes a BIG DEAL. Having the right train of thought will lessen the frustration factor.
Forgive. Refusing to forgive will only be effective on you in the long run.
Forgive over and over. No matter how many times someone hurts you, even if you need to put a distance between you. Always, without hesitation forgive.
Commit to understanding. Understand that some hurts can be forgiven without confronting the other person.
Always give the benefit of the doubt. Even though you may not agree, you may not totally understand someone else’s motives.
Talk to the person. A good conversation today, may save a world of hurt tomorrow.
Avoid gossip at all costs. Venting to someone that is not involved will not benefit anyone, including yourself.
Welcome correction. Believe it or not, you may not know it all. The other party may have a better perspective than you do.
Do not cover disobedience. A half truth is a full lie. Always tell the truth.
Pour your heart out in prayer. God is always there for our every need.
Here are a few tips and tricks we used while are children were growing up. One thing we have stressed within our home over the years is you are not responsible for anyone else’s actions. Just make sure you are doing right and responding right. You will only answer for yourself. Also, we did not allow our three Sappling’s to blow up or “explode” at each other. If we could sense that there were some emotions going on, as parents, we would simply ask them to go to their room and have some down time. Whether it be reading a book, praying, or listening to some good music quietly. Once things settled down a bit and they could interact with a good spirit they could join the rest of us again. Every now and then we would have the ones that were not getting along play a long game of Monopoly together. They had to spend time together, we kept them within ear shot, just to make sure everyone had a good attitude. At one point if we had a couple of them not getting along, we would have them hug for an extended period of time. This never was a favorite, after all who wants to hug someone they are not happy with at the moment. Typically, after about a minute, they both realized how silly it was and the laughter would begin!
As the mom / wife of the home. We are naturally the spirit setters within our humble abode. If I create the drama, we will all be dramatic. If I create calmness, we will all be calm. If I decide to choose joy, there will be a spirit of joy at the House of Sapp’s. If I overreact to someone or something, that is exactly what my children will learn to do. If I choose to treat others with the love of Christ, no matter the circumstances, this is how I want my children to respond as well.
Save the drama for the theater.
As we are teaching and training those, we have influence over, remember this statement. “As is the mother, so is her daughter.” Because the ones that matter most are watching.