“Behind many smiling faces hides a hurting heart...”
Hey everyone,
Welcome back to Character in Crisis! This week I am very excited to present Miss Grace Cornell to the stage! Assistant to Dr. Mark Hamby, Miss Grace can often be seen answering phone calls, typing at her desk, cutting fresh flowers, or running around with a bucket of paint in her hands. Although she is an avid lover of sunshine, Grace works in the office and brings a burst of sunshine to those around her. We are thankful for her bright smile, integrity, love for the Bible, and level-headed thinking! Today she is excited to share one of her favorite stories from Lamplighter and how it reawakened her first love for the Saviour. See below!
Hello!
One of my personal favorite stories is A Peep Behind the Scenes. As the title reflects, this story draws the curtain back on the cruel realities that come with fame and fortune. We find that,
“Behind many smiling faces hides a hurting heart, for there is often a high price to pay for what appears to be glamorous.”
From the very outset, this story whisked me into the narrative. As I kept reading, adventure and drama unfolded before me with intrigue and uncertainty. Yet what kept me coming back for more and more was the beautiful relationship that budded between little Rosalie and her loving Shepherd.
The story begins with a lonely little girl who is discontent with the fabricated world of glamour and glitz around her. One day, a gentle old man gives her a picture of a Shepherd who loves her. With the faith of a child, Rosalie begins to rely on her Good Shepherd to be her comforter and provider. Upon seeing the Lord through her eyes, I was reminded of the precious, life-giving connection we can have with our Shepherd and Friend.
When I was a little girl, I was so in love with Jesus. I remember praying one frosty January morning that God would make it snow on my birthday. I absolutely loved watching the snow fall down, especially at night when I could turn the porch light on and watch the white balls of snow float down against the black backdrop. Such beauty made my heart beam with joy! I believed without a doubt that God would give me this delight if he wanted to. When it came to be the night of my birthday, sure enough, the snow fell. I remember saying, with a beam on my face, “I prayed that it would snow today!” Moments like these happened all the time and set my eyes lovingly upon my Savior. I would picture myself as a little girl skipping alongside her daddy, but my daddy was the Creator of the world.
As I grew older, I started to not feel so much like a little girl and lost a bit of the sweetness of my relationship with the Lord. As a result of this pride, my relationship with Jesus suffered, and my faith weakened. Then the Lord gave me A Peep Behind the Scenes. It was through Rosalie’s journey that I recognized my own. Seeing her childlike faith reminded me of my own faith and admiration for Jesus when I was younger. I realized that this is childlike faith—and it isn’t just for children! Maturing in the faith is becoming a child in God’s eyes, a child with a precious, obedient heart, looking to her daddy to bring her delight.
Whoever humbles himself like a child is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 18:3-4
It has been a delight,
Grace Cornell
Thank you, Grace, for sharing your heart.
If you haven’t read or listened to A Peep Behind the Scenes, I highly recommend you start with our hardcover book. But be warned, you’ll want to have a box of tissues nearby! Dr. Hamby is fond of sharing that when his wife was reading it to their daughter, they cried each night due to the powerful, deeply moving story within. Yet, as they soon discovered, this was a journey worth taking! If you’ve already read the book, check out the audio drama or browse some more of Grace’s favorite titles below!
Till next time,
Molly Mayo
Writer/Editor
Other favorites from Grace:
Sir Malcolm and the Missing Prince book/audio drama (Ages 6+)
Escape from the Eagle’s Nest book/audio drama (Ages 12+)
The Wide, Wide World (Ages 12+)
The Secret Bridge book/audiobook (Ages 12+)
Read the book for yourself!
Written in 1878, A Peep Behind the Scenes sold over 2 ½ million copies. Now it also comes to life as a powerful audio drama! You’ll engage in the world of the traveling theatre, where Nora, enticed by fame and blinded by the romance of the theatre, quickly sees what life is like behind the scenes. You’ll meet Augustus, who thrives in the very small world that features himself, and Rosalie, whose faith shines bright in a woefully dark world. And don’t forget Betsy Ann, who’s convinced that nobody loves her—because nobody ever did—until she meets the Good Shepherd who goes to extremes to seek and to find those who are lost.