I am in the middle of planning a big event – our church’s live nativity.  (PSA for the day:  BE THERE!!  December 2, 3, and 4, 6-8pm, First Church of the Nazarene, 3475 Pine Forest Road, Cantonment, FL.  You will have so much fun!!)

Anyway, this is the first time that I have overseen this project.  It is exciting and terrifying at the same time. 

• What if a donkey eats the scenery? 
• What if one of the angels falls off her perch? 
• What if Mary and Joseph are late getting off work and baby Jesus appears to be a latch key kid? 
• What if we have a costume crisis among the shepherds?
• What if the hayride crew goes rogue and decides to make a quick trip to Publix?
• What if all the cookies are eaten the first night?

And, most importantly, what if the vision in my head turns out to be a bad idea??

Have you been there?  I know that I am not the most creative person in the room and that a glue gun in my hands is a mess before I even plug it in.  I’m a good pattern follower not a creative artist!

And so, I am doing what has worked for me in the past – I recognize that I am surrounded by the most creative and talented group of people.  My job is to give to them the general vision and then to let them do their magic.  While they do “their thing”, I get out of the way and maintain the “big picture” and the “little things” like budget and schedule and safety. 

Here’s an example:  A talented woman is going to take on staging of our family and friends fellowship area.  As I shared with her what I wanted her to do, she looked at me and said “I don’t have a visual of what you want.”  I totally understood.  We went to the area.  As we walked through the space, I waved my hands a little and talked a lot; I could see the light go on above her head.  As we walked in, I kept talking.  Finally, she turned to me and said, “I’ve got it; I know what to do.”  At that very point, I knew that I should have stopped talking minutes before.  I smiled and shut up.  You see, I trust that she knows what to do.  She has it!

Have you been there?  The task is huge.  The project is important. 

• How about, it’s THANKSGIVING dinner:  only the most important meal of the year. 
• Or, it’s HER CHRISTMAS GIFT:  the present that her entire family will use to judge your worth as a potential family member. 
• Or, it’s the WORK HOLIDAY PARTY: the one evening that you must socialize with your boss. 

Rather than take it on alone, why not enlist the help of others?  When we have the right folks helping us, doing what they do best, we are free to focus on other things that need to be done. 

This year, let’s reduce our holiday stresses this year by accepting some help with things we don’t do well.

(And, don’t forget, while our friends are helping us, we can repay them by helping where we shine.)

Love,

Jill (Just one of God’s kids)

“Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken. (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12) 

 Have a minute?  Enjoy one of my favorite Beatles’ song:  “Help”