When a season in life is over, it can leave you feeling so empty inside. 

I have a handful of seasons that I can look back on and know God used them to help shape and define who I am. Our sweet girl, Emma Grace, is saying goodbye to an incredible season in her life.  Today, The Holy Land Experience, where she has been employed the last year and a half, officially closes their doors. This is the day her and the rest of the family knew the shows were shutting down.

While coronavirus already forced the park to close a few weeks ago, this day hurts. My heart knew watching that last show a few weeks ago that it could have been the last. I cried through the whole thing.  

Emma Grace was 11 years old when she was hired to be a kid actor at the park.  Six months earlier, we visited the park for the first time with Z88.3 for our staff Christmas party.  We saw Melody and Daniel playing Mary and Joseph in a show.  She looked at me and said, “Mommy, I want to do that!”

We had no idea what God was planning.

We knew when they had their first ever kid audition, we had to at least try.  (I’ve added pictures of her time at The Holy Land Experience, including a part of the audition I took, in an album here.) 

What a journey! I watched her rise up as a great student while living this dream. She pushed through challenges of choreography and always worked hard to be the best she could.  I loved watching her on that stage!  She has  grown into an even more beautiful actress…literally and figuratively! She is almost 5’9! I will always be grateful that the Holy Land Experience family found a place for her to fit in and transitioned her to a few adult roles.

Spiritually, she has seen God move in a real and tangible way through the shows and her time serving.  She has drawn close to Him and has seen the stories in the Bible come to life! Her faith has grown as she understood the importance of sharing these stories with the audience and trusting God would touch hearts.

Her coworkers at the Holy Land Experience and the relationships we made is what our hearts ache for the most. Elizabeth, Melissa, Nick, and Jennifer believed in my girl from day one! The other kids hired and their awesome parents and the child care wranglers have become our people.  The kids had such a unique experience together and have a true love for one another. Best friends.  Sisters and brothers.   The adults of the cast quickly became family too. She has watched many of them on stage and took mental notes.  I believe she truly learned from the best.  These adults are crazy talented and always treated my girl with love, grace, and respect.

I will never forget that.

It was a great honor for me to sit in The Church of All Nations theater countless times and pray for each of one of them. My youngest, Ella Jay, was usually with me. There was always an awareness for us of how special this time was. We cherish these friendships and have a deep love for this family God created.  

Emma Grace wanted to express her thankfulness to the cast and crew!

“I could have worked there for the rest of my life. Thank you for being my role models! I miss you already so much. I will love you forever and hope we can see each other soon.” 

We have cried many tears together the past few weeks. Sadness, but mostly gratefulness. She learned more in this season than I could have ever imagined. It has become her foundation. A foundation I believe God will keep building on. 

The Holy Land Experience was a light in this community. It impacted families around the world! A place where I felt closer to God! A place where I was able to start writing again.   I will miss the incredible shows, the amazing people, and my sweet lunch time in the gazebo with my girls. 

Emptiness is evident when a season ends.

Maybe you are going through it too.  Job, relationship, or maybe just struggling through loneliness in this time.  Empty isn’t always bad.  We know the empty tomb signified life and hope.  I’m praying God fills those empty spaces in your heart, as we are asking Him to fill ours. He is the only one that can fill the void we experience in life with a real joy and peace that overflows. 

We are clinging to Proverbs 3:5-6.

Thank you again to our Holy Land Experience family. We love you and will never forget you. 

(I wanted Emma Grace to have some of her pictures and videos together in one place. If you’d like to see them, you can here.)