Thoughts on Our Christmas Program

Each year, our church kids do some sort of Christmas presentation for the congregation.  For the past few years, my friend and Pastor (Jennifer) and I have done this effort as a team and it's becoming a great Christmas tradition.

Last night was this year's Christmas program.

I was happy to find that I was truly excited for the evening.  We've been working for a couple of months to prepare and to come to the evening of the performance was definitely exciting.

The kids in my church are amazing.  We had a couple of kids out sick and we had kids that stepped up to cover those parts without question and they did a great job.  I was especially proud of a couple of our teenagers.  The show is done by kids up through 5th grade.  We asked 2 of the youth group teens to fill in on a part and they did .  And they did it without thinking they were too cool for a little kid Christmas program.  And they did it without complaining or eye rolling.  We asked and they jumped right in to help.  It's just what this church family does.

I am also very proud of one of the kids.  She's not really interested in being in the program, being on stage.  But she wanted to be part of it.  She's incredibly responsible and smart so she made the perfect stage manager!  She was able to cover one side of the stage and I covered the other.  It was great!  She did a fantastic job and I think we can build on that kind of job next year.

I love the faces of the kids as they finally perform what they've been memorizing and practicing for so long.  I love watching them in front of the audience.  But what I love even more is the eager faces of the adults that have come to see them!  I got to welcome everyone to the show and, at the end, thank them for coming.  And the smiles and joy and eagerness in the grown up faces was just as inspiring as what I see in the kids!

I also have to admit that I love the crazy rush that leads up to the program.  The last minute add ins of people due to kids out sick.  The last minute costume replacement.  Last minute problem solving really gets my creativity going!

This year, the sweetest and most tender moment of our program came when the kids sang Away In A Manger.  Given the events in Connecticut, the second verse the kids sang was especially poignant- especially since the first row of kids were dressed as angels.

Be near me, Lord Jesus,
I ask Thee to stay
Close by me forever
And love me I pray

Bless all the dear children
In Thy tender care
And fit us for heaven
To live with Thee there

I'm already starting to think about next year!