Saturday, December 28, 2013

packing up Christmas

As soon as Christmas services draw to an end, presents are opened, meals are devoured and kisses say farewell - it's time to begin packing up Christmas.

I spent today cleaning and carrying the final things to the attic including this years cards.  They contain the words our friends wrote to us - telling us they love us and wishing us a Merry Christmas - the words that were part of the rush to get ready.  The words are tucked in our hearts, and the cards are now tucked in the attic in a bag that I'll pull out again in 330 days or so helping me to remember who to send cards to next year.

We worked Friday to tuck away any remaining details left over from our Christmas services at Crossroads too - ornaments are down, instruments not needed for the weekend put away, platforms stuck backstage and posters thrown away.

Those of us involved in the preparation of Christmas at Crossroads have no way of knowing if our work has made a difference in people's lives but as I packed up Christmas here, I prayed that God had used the hours of our work.  I prayed that it brought glory to Him!

Every year as I pack up after Christmas, I try to remember what fills my work days compared to the hustle to prepare Christmas.  And then as I sit down in my office, I see the emails and coming weekends that need to be programmed, and instantly am once again consumed with regular.  And after Christmas regular is most welcomed!

There is no sadness that it is over for another year, instead I am filled with wonder at the way God allows all of us regular people  - to all come together and create another Christmas at Crossroads.  And I thank Him again for His son as I move comfortably back into normal and begin planning and dreaming about how to turn it into extraordinary in Him!




No comments: