It's My Job

This entry is so overdue...but I need to tell you why.

Santaland is busy.

Really...it's crazy. I love doing it, but it takes up almost every spare moment I have. Take this entry for example, it's been brewing since the first week we opened. I had been working on building the santa set for a couple of days before Santa was to arrive, but I was at the day and there was still a ton to do to prepare. I had stock to get out, people to hire, schedules to put together, equipment to set up, and paperwork that was just screaming to get done.

It was all on me.

By the time we opened, the set looked great. Velvet rope lines guided excited families in, lights twinkled to announce Christmas magic, the red carpet was down, Santa's couch was as soft and supportive as a prop couch can be, the merchandise was out on display, camera was focused, my team was uniformed, and corporate was happy.  I had worked my fingers to bleeding to create this world and guess who moseys right in to the cheers of the crowd?

Well...it wasn't me.

No, no, here comes the big guy down the escalator, dressed in his traditional red coat (which I had to exchange myself for a better size, mind you) to the adoration of the crowd. He walked right in, singing, I might add, and took his throne ready to receive children.

Christmas had officially begun and no one knew my name.

Now, logic (and a healthy dose of arrogance) might step in at this point, borrow the mic, and announce that actually I was the one who made all of this happen. I was the one who built this set and prepared all of this. Santa just showed up. Maybe they want to rethink who they are getting their picture taken with? After all...I was the one responsible for the Christmas magic, aren't I?

I would be wrong.

See, my job was to create a world. The world I was here to create wasn't a world where I would be noticed or celebrated. My job was to make ready a space where children of all ages can come and be with Santa and where Santa can do his work. It's not about me. It's about the meeting between a hopeful heart and a loving heart.

My job is to make Santa visible.

My job is to remove any obstacles between the needy and the giver.

My job is to get out of the way so that magic can happen.

I realized that this is my job in my "real" life. I'm a christian minister. My job isn't to act in such a way so that people note what a great speaker I am or how funny I can be or how compassionate I am. No, my job is to build space where people can see Jesus. See, if I can get children, again, of all ages, in to see Jesus, then magic (or grace) can happen. My job is to work hard, sweat, bleed, pray, and do whatever it takes so that when a hopeful heart needs a loving heart there is nothing hindering the meeting.

My job is to make Jesus visible

My job is to remove any obstacles between the needy and the Giver

My job is to get out of the way so that grace can happen.

I like my job.