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<\/a><\/p>\nWell, yesterday was our annual Christmas pageant, and I am happy to announce there were no Herdman moments to report.\u00a0 So in terms of memorable programs, this one will go not go down in the record books for mishaps.\u00a0 If I were truthful, I would say the mishaps really belonged to the director known as me.<\/p>\n
When I agreed to return to directing, our church\u2019s Christian Education committee asked me if I had a script in mind.\u00a0 I spent some hours researching and discovered two that I liked.\u00a0 One especially grabbed my attention and did so for the committee members.\u00a0 We all perused the marketing materials, and I was given the go-ahead to purchase the set.<\/p>\n
The date was chosen, the rehearsal schedule set, a couple co-directors came on board, and finally the box arrived. Like a child on Christmas morning, I ripped the packaging open and began digging through the box.\u00a0 I found the sets of cd\u2019s and DVD\u2019s, but I kept digging for the actual play itself.\u00a0 Eventually, I dug until I reached the other side of the box and no script could be found.<\/p>\n
After a frantic dash to the website to figure out what went wrong, I discovered the problem was with me (and the other adults who looked over the original materials).\u00a0 There was no script.\u00a0 Only curriculum and some really jazzy music videos were what the\u00a0group promised.\u00a0 How in the cat hair did we all miss that?\u00a0 When my daughter got home, I lamented our job as co-directors just got harder.\u00a0 She was a better sport about it than I, saying \u201cMom, we\u2019ve got this!\u201d<\/p>\n
She gave up four hours the next weekend for the two of us to intertwine the curriculum materials and the videos into a script.\u00a0 It really helps when you attend a smaller church and when you are somewhat familiar with your actors\u2019 personalities.<\/p>\n
As rehearsals progressed, it was amazing to watch how everyone worked together.\u00a0 This included one mom who stumbled across some amazing choreography for one of the songs.\u00a0 Since we are simple servants open to input, we jumped for joy for such a great suggestion.\u00a0 Our other co-director added amazing touches that added so much to the final performance, but what completely blew us away were the ideas the kids themselves added to the show.<\/p>\n
To use up some nervous energy, we went around the room before the service allowing each one present to share their most favorite part.\u00a0 My heart melted when a few chose to say their favorite part was a way another child did their part. What encouragers! Our curtain call came just as we wound ourselves back to me.\u00a0 They inquired my favorite part. Honestly, I told them all my absolute favorite part was getting to work with all of them.\u00a0 The sighs of contentment said that was not the answer they expected.<\/p>\n
The pageant went beautifully with perfectly said lines,\u00a0adorable cuteness in preschoolers who always steal the show,\u00a0as well as \u00a0great songs and dancing.\u00a0\u00a0However for me, there was a pre-pageant moment that stuck in my heart. As we waited in the wings to enter, I went through the line high-fiving each one, telling them how awesome they are and how proud of each one I was. We could hear the offering song, and that was when my eyes could no longer hold in my emotions.\u00a0 Those sweet little angelic voices were singing along to \u201cThe First Noel\u201d.\u00a0 It was the most beautiful sound I had\u00a0ever\u00a0heard before a pageant because they sang with unhindered joy.\u00a0 It would not have mattered if\u00a0everything else had gone wrong\u00a0because I could bottle up that moment to savor forever!<\/p>\n