I know. One month til Christmas EVE... but Mark gets them on the 24th at 11pm til noon on the 26th. I'll be celebrating with the kids on the 24th. So, in my book, it's one month til Christmas.
I guess it's appropriate that we had our Staff dinner tonight - on the eve of the American thanksgiving weekend.
It was a ginormous stretch for me. I do not attend weddings for this reason... I have not got a date. And I'm not that extroverted that it doesn't matter. It does matter. I hate being single at times like this. Attendance was mandatory, seeing a staff photo was being taken for Arrow's Christmas card. I have worked with these people a total of 40 hours. My only hope was that there would be long banquet tables and my singleness would get lost in the crowd.
Imagine my delight when I entered the reserved lower room and found 5 tables set up for 4 people per table.
"Is anyone else single tonight?" I asked my boss and his wife.
"No... everyone is bringing their spouse. Isn't that great? You'll get to meet the whole crowd tonight." She was bubbling with enthusiasm for the upcoming evening.
"Is there an extra spot, then?"
"No... we have exactly 20 people coming...Oh, J is on his own."
"I'll sit where ever he sits then."
"You don't have to do that. Sit with whomever you'd like."
"Well...that would wreck some couple's chance to sit together. I'll just sit at J's table."
Twenty year old J chose to sit with our 17 year old part timer and her 17 year old boyfriend.
The food was good though.
I was hoping to sneak out early, but as they cleared away our dessert, the president stood up and asked us all to to be thinking of what we could share with the group. Each one of us, ("yes, even those of you that haven't been here that long... we want to hear from you as well...") were to speak about 'what Arrow means to us', 'what aspect of the ministry brings us joy' and 'any other thoughts about the team".
L o n g, detailed, moving speeches spontaneously broke out one after another. When a stillness descended on the room and all eyes were on me, I stood up, faced the crowd and said, "I have not seen my comfort zone in 10 days..."
1 comment:
I'm so proud of you, you've stretched yourself for so long now I didn't think you could stretch anymore. You should be 10 feet tall by now. You put me to shame, I seem to have retreated into a comfortable sofa which has swallowed me up. Never stop growing you have so much to offer and in my eyes you are 10 feet tall.
Love you, Mom
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