Stage adaptation of one of our short films, "Turn the Page," spotlighting a truly rare and precious spiritual gift.
The Page Turner
By John Cosper
CHARACTERS
Dave- A talk show host
Mindy- A girl with an unusual spiritual gift
Dave and Mindy sit on stage on a TV talk show set.
DAVE: Hello. I’m Dave. Today we’re talking about spiritual gifts. We all have them, we all got them from the Lord, and it’s our job to use them. Some are big, some are small, but without them, the body of Christ couldn’t function. I’m joined today by Miss Mindy Kruger. Mindy, welcome.
MINDY: Hello.
DAVE: Mindy, what is your spiritual gift?
MINDY: Well, it’s a little unusual. Some people have the gift of teaching, some prophecy, some music. And some people have less glamorous gifts, like hospitality or helps or prayer.
DAVE: I see. So what kind of gift do you have?
MINDY: I turn the pages of music for the church piano player.
Dave does a double take.
DAVE: You what?
MINDY: I turn the pages of music for the church piano player.
DAVE: Wow. Never heard of that one.
MINDY: It’s very rare.
DAVE: I guess so. How did you discover you had this gift?
MINDY: Well, I was eight years old, and one Sunday morning, the piano player in our church was struggling through How Great Thou Art. Every time she came to the end of a page, she had to stop and turn the page and then go on. All of a sudden, I felt this tug on my chest, like the Holy Spirit was calling me.
DAVE: The Holy Spirit?
MINDY: I turned to my mother and I said, “Mom, I think God wants me to help her turn the pages.”
DAVE: And did you turn the pages?
MINDY: Yes, and as soon as I did, it made the piano playing so much better. People were really moved.
DAVE: I’m... sure they were.
MINDY: For ten years, I turned the pages for our piano player. She became like a sister to me. I turned the pages, and she played the music. It was such a blessed time. And then, I went to college.
DAVE: College. Did you go to college for piano music page turners?
MINDY: No, I went to Indiana to study underwater Egyptian archaeology.
DAVE: Uhh, okay.
MINDY: When I got there, I found a wonderful church. There were so many people my age, and the music and ministry was just great. But...
Mindy pauses, getting choked up.
DAVE: It’s okay, go on if you can.
MINDY: (in tears) But there was no piano player.
DAVE: No piano?
MINDY: All they had were drummers and guitar players.
DAVE: I see.
MINDY: There was no where for me to serve.
DAVE: Did you try turning the pages for the guitar players?
MINDY: I asked about that. I did.
DAVE: What did they say?
MINDY: (breaking down harder) They said they couldn’t read music.
DAVE: That must have been heartbreaking.
MINDY: I tried turning pages for the scripture reading, but the pastor already had a secondary gift for that. There was just no where for me to be. I felt so lost.
DAVE: That’s awful.
MINDY: But then, one day, I was down at the laundromat when I met a lady from a little country church. She asked me if I was a Christian, and when I said yes, she invited me to come to her church.
DAVE: Did you go?
MINDY: I did. And when I got there, there was my new friend, at the piano - struggling to turn the pages. I knew right then and there what I was supposed to do.
DAVE: You joined the church?
MINDY: And became her page turner.
DAVE: Well, Mindy, this has been inspiring. I think we’ve all learned a valuable lesson today.
MINDY: You mean, no matter how small your gift may seem, it is important to God and to the body of Christ that you use it?
DAVE: I was going to say, no matter how small your gift is, it can’t possibly be as ridiculous as yours, but I think we’re both saying the same thing here. I’m Dave, and tomorrow, we’ll talk to a man with the spiritual gift of washing all those tiny communion cups.
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