"Blood on the Dance Floor"

I do not do many birthday greetings on Facebook anymore. I guess I am just lazy. But after reading Lily's note on her dear friend Maj I got to thinking and the following is what I came up with:

I have a few images of Maj etched into my mind but the one that stands out to me is the scene we filmed at the graveyard for The Prodigal. I was a little worried because in order for the scene to really work Maj had to carry it. If he couldn't deliver, the scene would fall flat, and the central theme of our story would fail to be portrayed with authenticity.

I need not have worried because when the camera started rolling and Maj... (very much in character) stumbled through the rows of tombstones towards the one over his mother grave He knelt to grasp it and hug it as if by doing so he could feel her touch. The camera captured it all. The dam broke and he unleashed a wave of raw pathos into the dreary afternoon. Here was man who had suffered a great loss at a very early age and though time had passsed, the wound just would not heal.

Even the presence of his brother, (played by Addison ) who reached out with genuine concern, was of no comfort. In fact the intrusion of Addison 's character furthered the developing rift between them. That moment is captured here:

Thank you Maj for leaving your "blood on the dance floor". Your efforts help make the production of The Prodigal a success. When I reviewed the footage soon after we filmed it, I knew we had something very special and it really motivated me to see the project through.

Sometimes we may not fully understand why we have been given certain gifts instead of others. However the one thing we can be sure of is God expects us to develop them and use them.

Never back down friend. I miss you. I am proud of you. You are in my thoughts and prayers!