After 3 weeks of working my families Corporate Holiday Decorating Business for install of Christmas beauty, this quote holds so true!
"It's kind of fun to do the impossible." Walt DisneyPeople that know nothing of this corporate decorating business say "Oh that sounds like fun"...HA. The honestly is, beyond tired and valiant effort there is much fun in defeating the impossible in putting up 30ft, 20ft, 14ft, 7.5 foot trees (60 some odd trees. I have to go back and count), countless boughs and wreaths, hauling items 3 times ones body weight and outside lighting of what feels like strings of lights that could wrap the earths surface twice. We are often doing what many would say is cirque de soliel acts on many ladders, lifts and scaffolding (no I am not kidding...it is almost beautiful to watch). It is nothing short of achieving nearly the impossible on NO sleep safely and God gets and deserves the glory. Up at the crack of dawn hitting the ground running. and working many nights past 2:00 a.m, three weeks straight for install. I found that I could work freelance projects in between 2:30 and 3 a.m. Beyond the tired, scratches and bruises, and new muscles found, I am so very proud of my Mom and sister, Gretchen (They are nothing short of amazing to me in grace, effort, joy, tenacity, attitude...just in every way without complaint...ever!). God hand picked every other person that worked with us this year...what a true blessing. I am thankful to each of them for working so very hard and making the world more beautiful through December 25th. I am proud of Angie my friend for working tenaciously in spite of the fact that this effort happened around Thanksgiving and her little girl had just gone to heaven only 2 months ago. She works just like my sisters (cold mountain style...See the movie "Cold Mountain" with Nicole Kidman and Renee Z. and you will understand...smile) and has become a quick new family member and we just adore her. She is about God's grace in the midst and that one can still find joy through incredible hardship. I just have to believe amongst these three women (Mom, Gretchen and Angie) that God is looking down on them and is pleased.
I witnessed the fact that we conducted ourselves in professionalism and kept God in the center. After 14 years of this company, I see maturity and God sitting in the center of the relationships. Relationships are what matters as a whole anyway. Lastly, I am thankful for my friends who prayed over us daily. The answer to those prayers were definately felt and we kept healthy and safe which is a blessing. I am going to take pictures this week of all of our impossibles that we encountered and won over into possibility with delight and share with you next Monday.
To bring a smile to an inside running talk my Mom and I have. I have no children...yet. My hearts wish is that I do, but reality is reality and I just lean into God through it with a genuine smile. There are people in my life that talk about their children and well, I do not yet have images to post, or children to talk of. I do gleefully post amazing images of my favorite person in the world, Peyton Grace my niece. She plays along in my world beautifully. She is the best gift God has ever given me and is such a light that has made my life full, so I do want to state that. So, I ask my Mom, "What do I have to talk about in addition to God in my life, because I am trying to just be a vessel and have him use my heart and not my mouth to represent him. (I pray he finds some sort of vessel in me to go through and shine His light and a smile...Lord willing!)? My Mom and I laugh about this and state "Well, you have your work...tee hee hee". So here you have it. An image from my work Christmas gathering. I am the one leaning down because I was too tall in front. These people individually really inspire me. John behind me is one of the nicest people you will ever meet. He is a great Dad, and husband to Caroline and might I add one of Peyton Grace's favorite people, because he always leans down and talks to her like she matters and smiles with her always. My Bosses on either end. The one on the far right, Jerry, has often stood in as a father figure to me years before I took this job to work for him. He makes me see that there are men of honor out there. His son, Corey on the far left. A gentle leader and a great friend to me. Last but not least is Jill next to me. The girl has run 100 mile races and is a complete inspiration to me not only in her running, but her ethics at work and in life. So there, no children or santa visits at the mall to talk of (I couldn't get my people at work to go for the mall image with Santa thought..smile), but definitely people that matter and worth posting and image and talking about in my life.
"It is not the circumstances in which we are placed, but the spirit in which we face them, that constitutes our strength and tenacity. Only in this is our character molded into genuineness which gives way to God's great light within us." --Me (Kristin)