Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
~ Hebrews 12:1-2
And so it begins. Tonight is the final dress rehearsal for Glorious Christmas Nights and the next fourteen days are a marathon of shows, work, and hopefully sleep.
I don’t run. I still carry too many pounds to do so safely. But I have walked the Ukrops’ Monument Avenue 10K and have vowed one day to run it to support cancer research and treatment. As a 23 year (this month) survivor, I need to do that.
But this is a marathon of a different sort. After months of rehearsal, and even longer months of planning by the creative and production teams (our personal part generally kicks in in August), the show goes live tomorrow night.
Nineteen public performances. Some 24,000 thousand people, give or take a few hundred will see the show.
Then it’s a mad dash to the finish line to celebrate Christmas. Our decorations go up and our shopping is done after the show. Although, as I mentioned we got the candles in the window.
Over at Richmond Bible Examiner, I’m doing a series on the Journey to the Manger. It’s meant to be a time of slowing down and reflecting on the coming, or advent, of the Christ Child.
For me, up until the show is over, and up until those 24 posts are done, and up until my December writing deadlines are met, it’s still a bit of a marathon.
Then, for the last two weeks of the year (and this time around first few days of the new year), I can slow down and regroup.
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