The Unqualified “Yes”

A sixteen-year-old with dyslexia sat down to write a musical about Jesus. No formal training. No Broadway connections. No reason to think the world would ever hear it. Just a prompting she could not shake. And a simple prayer: “Okay, I’ll try.”

Her name is Anna Miriam Brown. And by every traditional standard, she was not the obvious person to write a Broadway-style musical about the life of Jesus. She wasn’t a theater kid. She didn’t have a polished resume. She struggled with severe dyslexia. And she had no idea how far one small “yes” could go.

But while on a mission trip to Kenya, Anna was introduced to Hamilton. She was stunned by the power of musical theater to tell a story, carry emotion, and make people pay attention. And somewhere in that experience, a new question began to form in her heart: What if the story of Jesus could be told this way?

Not as something stale. Not as something distant. But as something alive, emotional, and unforgettable for a new generation.

So Anna started writing. Line by line. Song by song. Scene by scene. She did not have every credential. She did not have every answer. But she had a willing heart.

And that simple willingness became His Story: The Musical.

What started with a teenage girl saying, “Okay, I’ll try,” eventually became a full musical, an original cast recording, and a production backed by names like Willie and Korie Robertson and Broadway producer Bruce Lazarus.

Weakness Is Never Wasted

But the most important part of the story is not the stage. It is the surrender. Because God often begins with people who feel unqualified. A shepherd boy with a sling. A fisherman with a net. A teenager with dyslexia and a blank page. And in the hands of God, weakness is never wasted.

What This Means for Your Ministry

Pastor, this is a reminder for your ministry. The next generation does not need us to hand them a list of reasons they are not ready. They need us to help them recognize the voice of God and have the courage to respond.

There may be a student in your church right now with a strange burden, a creative idea, or a holy restlessness they do not know what to do with. They may not have the credentials. They may not have the confidence. They may not even have the words yet. But they may have a willing heart. And sometimes, that is where God loves to begin.

So encourage the young creatives. Make room for the students. Pay attention to the quiet promptings. And do not despise a small, trembling yes. Because a teenager saying, “Okay, I’ll try,” may be the beginning of something far bigger than anyone can see.

I’m Justin Trapp, and this is Ministry Minute.