The term “mixed blessings” is redundant. Why do I say that? Because all true blessings are mixed. God isn’t just in the blessing business, he’s in the growth business, and growth requires challenges, difficulty. Just as our muscles don’t grow unless they’re pushed, neither does our character.
It was the start of my career. I’d just come back from England. As a brand new theatre instructor, I’d wrangled an unbelievable summer gig teaching visiting American students acting alongside members of the Royal Shakespeare Company, including future “sirs” Patrick Stewart and Ben Kingsley. While I was there I fell half in love with a British nursing student and completely in love with England, so I couldn’t wait to resume both career and romance in the UK. As I was stitching together my plans, a friend handed me a phone number. A comedy trio famous in the Christian world, Isaac Air Freight, was looking for a new member. On a whim, I auditioned. And they said yes! But what about England? And what about that adorable nurse?
I asked my study group to pray for me. The minute they said, “Amen,” a stranger walked up and handed me a slip of paper. “God told me to give you this,” she said, and left (I never saw her again). The slip read, “Behold, I have set before you an open door that no one can shut ” (Revelation 3:8). And so, I joined Isaac Air Freight.
I toured with them for four years, appearing in videos and recording albums (5 studio recordings and 7 radio show compilations). That experience laid the groundwork for my entire career to come. So, why do I call it a mixed blessing?
In a word: relationships. We were oil and water. They were down-to-earth funny guys with an undying love for sports; and I was an artsy-fartsy type who’d just come back from teaching Shakespeare in freaking Stratford-upon-Avon! The only thing we had in common was our love for God. We were oil-and-water. Which meant we had to constantly stir the pot to make the ingredients mix. But mix they did. Why? Because God, the mixed blessing specialist, had put us together.
Zoom forward to 2013: I was struggling to build a film production company, when I got called to audition for the lead role in an independent film. For reasons I couldn’t fathom, I felt like I was “supposed” to do this, that it was “a God thing.” When I was offered a small two-day role instead, I figured I’d been mistaken. But then, two days into filming, the producer halted shooting, insisting they’d made “a terrible mistake” in casting. One week later, filming resumed—with me in the lead! I was terrified, but exhilarated.
After production of Promises to Keep was completed, I assumed I’d go back to my original plans. But God had something else in mind. The producer who’d cast me in the lead pursued a friendship with me. Why? We were oil and water: he was more Catholic than the Pope, and I was a loosey-goosey Jesus-follower. We saw eye-to-eye on almost nothing. And yet…
The following year that producer greenlighted my first feature film as a writer-director. Why? Because God, the mixed blessing specialist, had put us together. So, who were we to say no? That feature film Healing River has won over twenty festival awards and honors, and remains one of the top-rated inspirational films ever shown on Amazon Prime. I look forward–with a healthy dose of fear and trembling–
To whatever mixed blessings God has in store next!
Mitch Teemley 
God is a mixed blessing specialist. I love it, Mitch! It sounds like oil and water has been essential to your growth. A former professor of mine used to say, “Life is like a bottle of vinaigrette dressing: shaking it up now and then makes it better.”
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Definitely makes a clearer metaphor than “life is like a packet of Hidden Valley ranch dressing, just add mayo.” ;>) Thanks, David!
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It is pretty clear that God holds an advance degree in Holy Mixology. And lives at the heart of the mix.
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Oh, yes!
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Yup, God does stuff like that. I often find that the people I don’t mix well with are just the ones who have something to teach me.
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Keeping an eye on Andrew. He’s wise as well as funny, and thinks there just may be a book or two in him!
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Agree. And agree.
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The film “Healing River” is just awesome. What a journey to reach it, and to share it with the rest of us!
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Thank you so much, Joy!
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It’s such a delight to learn your back story.
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Great story, Mitch ! You have a knack for intertwining your past and current lives with your spirituality. It’s great stuff!
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Thank you, Anthony. Btw, I’ve visited your Oblate House site and appreciated reading your overview and recent updates. Wishing you continued growth and blessings in your relationship with our Lord.
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This was a very uplifting post! I thoroughly enjoyed it.
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So happy to hear that, Liz.
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🙂
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Blessed blessings–the journey of life!
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Lessons are not always pleasant but isn’t that the best way to learn and remember? And God is the ultimate teacher, with a sense of humour and irony I have found, or perhaps that is just the way I am, so how I receive them.
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God does work in ways beyond our human understanding. Coming to the USA was never part of my life plan. Yet, here I am.
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This is a great morale booster, particularly today. I had several things happen that I don’t understand or know where they will lead but there is an unction it’s “a God thing.” Regardless of the end in the process there is refinement of character happening. Thanks for your story.
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So happy to provide a bit of a morale boost, Manette.
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Wow awesome to learn new things about you Mitch. I would love to watch Healing River, I’m going to head over to Amazon Prime and see if it’s still there 😀 😄
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It is, Christina. Here’s the link: https://www.amazon.com/Healing-River-Christine-Jones/dp/B088JPNPVR
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Mitch, these mixed blessings of yours turned out to be blessings for all of us. I love learning more of your life!
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Thanks, and ditto, Karla!
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You’re welcome, Mitch! And aww,…thank you!
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Mitch, I love your stories. I’m constantly reminded of God’s blessings, mixed though they may seem.
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Thanks, Gregory, me too.
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As a perpetual understudy/”also-auditioned,” my thoughts on reading this story focused on the lead who got replaced. I wonder how that mixed blessing worked in his life. 🤔
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Good question, Annie. I only know that he was a non-believer cast in the role of a passionate believer. The producer said (after reviewing my audition clip) that he could tell I believed what I was saying, and that the guy initially cast in the role didn’t. So who knows what spiritual impact, if any, that had on him, or what else God was bringing his way.
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Oh, I’m sure God did SOMETHING with it. 😉
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What an amazing path… laid out by an equally amazing God. I see every blessing in my life the same way: decidedly mixed. How boring it would be if our blessings always matched our blueprint to the “T”. So glad you kept following those proddings.
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Thanks, and likewise, Russ.
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When God decides to lead you through an open door…powerful things can take place. I really enjoyed this Mitch! Thanks😊
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Thanks, Stuart!
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Wow Mitch! This is a beautiful example of listening to that small still voice!!
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A winding road to get this far. I just watched Healing River with my wife tonight. What a powerful story of forgiveness. Glad for the path God has laid out for you.
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Thank you so much, Rob, and likewise. P.S. May I encourage you to leave a brief review at Amazon? (The more reviews it gets, the more they recommend it). Also, you can rate it from 1 to 10 stars on IMDb (link below). Note: IMDb only recognizes the rating if you rate a few other movies, as well. Thanks and blessings, my friend! https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5848326/
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Wonderful story Mitch. Am going to check out Healing River as soon as i can 🙂
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Great, Ananda. Have a great weekend!
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Great subject and post. Yup – the God of blessing is also the God of
testing. (It’s an old song from Vineyard) Congrats on your film again.
Is this available in DVD yet for us old guys?
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So true, and thanks, Pete. Yes, Amazon has it on DVD, and so do most other online video retailers. https://www.amazon.com/Healing-River-Christine-Jones/dp/B08KZ2ZQFK/ref=sr_1_1?crid=X5YSGYC2FPM1&keywords=healing+river+dvd&qid=1643998680&sprefix=healing+river+dvd%2Caps%2C57&sr=8-1
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You trusted in God when you felt Him speaking to you. Better yet, you listened. Your faith is commendable. Thank you for sharing your experience. Now I have a couple movies to watch!
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Thank you, Nancy. Enjoy, and have a great weekend!
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I watched Notzilla–loved it! The humor is spot on for me. Although, I don’t know if a millennial would appreciate It, or maybe understand why it’s humorous, as well as a baby boomer or an aficionado of old monster movies.
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Hard to say, Nancy. We’ve gotten some specific feedback, but reviews at Amazon don’t include age of reviewers. It does seem to be a hit with boomers and gen-Xrs, but then younger families, esp. dads and kids have loved it, too. And, yes, monster movie and spoof fans love it; it received standing ovations at G-Fest, where most of the audience were millennial kaiju (Godzilla) fans.
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P.S. I so glad you enjoyed it! May I encourage you to share it on Facebook, and to leave a brief review at Amazon? (The more reviews it gets, the more they recommend it). Also, you can rate it from 1 to 10 stars on IMDb (link below). Note: IMDb only recognizes the rating if you rate a few other movies, as well. Thanks for the laughs, Nancy! https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9035000/
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No problem, Mitch. I’ll rate a few of your movies on imdb after I’ve viewed a couple more. I’ll definitely share Notzilla on Facebook & review it on Amazon. Thanks also for reading my posts.
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Thanks, Nancy! Btw, your ratings don’t all have to be for my movies, just other any other movies (even ones you’ve already seen). In theory that’s how IMDb guarantees that you’re a real person.
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Mitch this is a beautiful post. Our most difficult challenges truly do hold the best possibility for growth. And, our faith guides us through. Congratulations on your film and thank you for the inspiring post.
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Thank you so much, LaDonna. I’m so glad you found the post inspiring.
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This is such a spectacular testimony! Thank you for sharing this fantastic illustration of how God works in and through and forth us!!
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You just don’t know how blessed and encouraged I am to read this now.
Thank you. God bless you. 🙏🏻
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So glad to hear that, Deborah. And God bless you too.
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