Well, let me tell ya, Christmas at our church, it ain’t always just peace and quiet, you know? Sometimes, it’s more like a whole lotta drama, the kind that makes your head spin faster than a whirligig. And lemme tell you, this year was somethin’ else, a real barn burner, I tell ya.
First off, we always gotta have this Christmas play, right? The young’uns, they love it. But gettin’ them kids organized? That’s harder than milkin’ a bull. This year, little Susie, she was supposed to be Mary. Cute as a button, that one. But wouldn’t ya know it, right before the big night, she comes down with the chickenpox! Looked like a speckled hen, poor thing. So, we had to go find another Mary. And wouldn’t ya believe it? Billy, the troublemaker from down the road, he wanted to be Mary! Can ya imagine? A boy Mary? We finally talked him into bein’ a shepherd, after promisin’ him extra cookies.
Then, there was the choir. Now, our choir, they’re good folks, but bless their hearts, they can’t always carry a tune in a bucket. This year, they decided to do this fancy song, somethin’ with a lot of high notes and whatnot. Sounded like a cat fight to me. And Mrs. Higgins, the choir director, she was flappin’ her arms around like a goose tryin’ to take flight. It was a sight to see, I tell ya. Honestly, it was a bit of a mess, but they tried their best, and that’s what counts, ain’t it?
And the costumes! Oh, Lordy, the costumes. We got this one lady, bless her heart, she sews all the costumes. But she’s got this thing for glitter. Everything’s gotta have glitter. So, the shepherds, they looked like they’d been dipped in a vat of sparkles. And the angels, they were shinin’ so bright, you almost needed sunglasses. Even Joseph had glitter on his beard! It was somethin’ else.
- First, the kids arguing about who gets to be the star.
- Then the choir singing off-key.
- And finally, all that glitter everywhere! It was like a sparkly explosion.
But the real drama, well, that happened backstage. See, we got this old fella, Mr. Johnson, he always plays the grumpy innkeeper. And he takes his role real serious. This year, he got so into it, he wouldn’t let Joseph and Mary into the “inn” (which was just a cardboard cutout, mind you). He was yellin’ and stompin’ his feet, sayin’ there was no room at the inn, just like in the Bible. The kids, they thought it was real! Some of ’em started cryin’. It took the pastor comin’ back there to calm him down. Told him it was just a play, not a real eviction notice.
And don’t even get me started on the Christmas pageant decorations! Everyone wanted to have their say. Mrs. Peterson wanted all white lights cause they looked “elegant”. Mr. Jones wanted the multi-colored ones ‘cause they looked more “festive”. They argued about it so much, the pastor finally said, “We’ll use both!” And you know what? It actually looked kinda nice. A little bit of everything, just like our church folk.
But despite all the drama, all the chaos, it was…well, it was Christmas. It wasn’t perfect, not by a long shot. But it was real. It was messy and loud and full of folks just tryin’ their best. And when the kids finally sang “Silent Night”, even with the wrong notes and the glitter fallin’ everywhere, there was this…this feeling. A warm feelin’ in your chest. Like, yeah, this is what it’s all about. The togetherness, the laughin’, even the arguin’, it’s all part of it. Christmas ain’t just about pretty things and perfect singin’. It’s about the people, you know? It’s about community, about family, and about rememberin’ why we’re all here. And that, my friend, is somethin’ worth more than all the glitter in the world.
So yeah, we had some drama for Christmas at church. But you know what? I wouldn’t trade it for anything. It’s those little messes and mishaps that make it special. It’s the memories, the stories we’ll tell for years to come. And that’s what makes it Christmas, ain’t it? The good, the bad, and the glittery.
And you know, sometimes I think that’s the way the Lord likes it too. Not all polished and perfect but real and full of heart, and more importantly about the drama for christmas, it should be full of the love that brings people together, even when that love is a little bit messy.