There was a season where Christmas Brunches were ALL the range. The premise was simple. People gather for a morning of inspiration and cheer and instead of one committee being in charge of decorating all the tables, individuals would sign up to host or decorate the tables. For extra fun (or in hindsight unneeded stress) there were awards given for the tables.
My first year to host, I must admit, I went a bit overboard. I bought my centerpiece (which towered above everyone) from a local decorator, I bought bushels of red roses from a wholesaler, I bought chair covers, I bought…(insert anything and everything you can imagine here.)
I won “Most Elegant” and felt, well…flat broke.
The next year I felt I had to prove something and so armed with $20 I marched to the dollar store and did a whimsical design in pink, lime green and some feather boas I stole from my daughter.
I won “Most Creative” and felt, well…tired.
You see, in striving (and spending) to win, I missed the boat on the real joy of the Christmas Party/Brunch.
However, there was one year that changed everthing.
Let’s travel back together to that cool December morning:
I adore the feeling of sitting down to a table where I am made to feel special (crystal, china, etc.) and I want others to feel the same. I’m blessed to have lots of decor and plating options. When I hear that some tables may only have plastic plates and generic decor, I offer to host multiple tables.
For one table, I am offering my absolute best and setting it with grandmother’s silver.
The silver was a wedding gift which at one point of time we thought was lost forever. After years of praying (seriously) it was finally found. Polished and shining in its box I brought it to the table.
I carefully counted each piece as I set it on the table.
After the brunch I went to clean up the table. I counted each piece as I put it in a container to wash. I counted again. And again. And again.
I was short one fork.
The sweet ladies at the table had helped clean up before I got there. I was sure one had found its way to the wastebasket.
I tried to stay calm. With tears brimming in my eyes, I said it was ok. Replacements Unlimited is amazing and while it wouldn’t be grandma’s fork, it would still match. After all, it was just a fork.
The next thing I knew, my friends, dad and people I didn’t even know were going through each trash can–piece by piece–in search for the fork.
I am crying now as I remember the scene–friends in their finery serching through garbage for a fork. They didn’t care about what they touched while wearing their best; they cared about helping a friend.
Christmas is a crazy time of the year for me. I can get so focused on all the activities, the decor, the work, the shopping, the wrapping, etc. that I lose sight of the True Beauty.
You see , just as my friends searched for a silver fork in the muck and mire of the trash, so the Lord is searching through our schedules to find our true heart.
We are the finest silver.
“Out of all the people on the face of the earth, the Lord has chosen you to be His treasured possession.” Deut 14:2
The true beauty.
“Your beauty should not come from outward adornment…Instead, it should be that of your inner self.” 1 Peter 3:3-4
His delight.
True beauty isn’t tables purchased on plastic, it’s beautiful people of God who open their hearts to Him and then radiate that love to others.
It’s people who know TRUE JOY.
My heart is still to allow people to feel welcome, warm and special. I still adore setting a beautiful table, but thoe ones closest to me may have notices a couple of shifts in the table. I now rely a little more on silk flower–love you Dayspring Design–and everything always has the same candles. This is all an attempt to have more time to focus on the people at the table instead of always sitting down exhausted.
In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. Matthew 5:16
It’s really hard to let the Lord’s light shine through you when you are exhausted. It’s hard to share His love at a table when you are frazzled, anxious or at the other extreme completely empty.
Our Presence or our True Beauty is one of the best gifts we can give others everyday and may yours shine in abundance this season.
Merry Christmas!
P.S. If you are struggling with making 5 varieties of cookies instead of 10–or insert any other holiday tradition where you exhaust yourself on temporal things–get inspired by this post.
