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The Pink Room: Thoughts About
Intentional Living
Chapter 4/ Shifts. (The Slowly
Evolving Jesus.)
Part 3 (Previous post contain the
previous parts/chapters.)
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When I worked in Appleton, I was asked
to lead a unique project: making a float to the city’s Christmas parade. I was
already overseeing Web sites, designing collateral materials, designing garments,
keeping track of the entire merchandise inventory, overseeing all photo and
asset collection, and creating retail stores at their large events, why not a
float?
It was an endeavor. The goal was to
put something together on a trailer that communicated the values and mission of
the organization. We were one of a few groups that were faith-based that
entered the parade. We were the only organization geared toward youth with a
float, and we were beginning to focus on international missions and other causes.
How do you communicate, visually, something that represents all of that? I was left me puzzled. Our application fit
nicely into the “other” category.
At the time, I was leading focus
groups regularly, and our team decided the staff would determine the float’s
design and content by becoming a focus group. And so it began. I gathered some
bouncy balls, mind bender toys, and Slinkys-- we went through a series of
activities and brainstorming. The conclusion was (besides that it is not a good
idea to put over-worked adults in a room with bouncy balls) we would begin with
a crèche, with only animals no people, there’d be rope
lights coming from the manger in eight places. At the end of the eight rope
lights there would be a lighted box reading “HOPE”. The boxes would be carried
by youth dressed in outfits from all over the world. They’d be dancing to Joy
to the world, big band Christmas music from Denver and the Mile High Orchestra.
The process began with tracking down a
trailer and supplies, finding materials for costumes and begging or borrowing
the supplies that were remaining—we had $100 for a budget. The Christmas parade
is the weekend after Thanksgiving, we began building at the end of October. The
end of October in Wisconsin is not normally nice, there is cold rain and it can
freeze in the evenings.
To this day, I’m not sure where some
of the stuff came from. It was like the loaves and fishes to me, except it was
wood, tools and a trailer. Someone knew a guy that had an extra trailer;
another guy just happened to have a ton of scrap wood that looked rustic, enough
to build a ten foot tall structure. Someone else loaned their truck; and
someone had sound equipment. Tools materialized; there was just enough of what
we needed.
Using a pneumatic nail gun in mittens
is another thing I would not recommend. There were old blankets that showed up,
we used for covering and making the animals, there was even hay for the manger.
I just happened to get some hats the year before at Goodwill, a sombrero and a
coolie. I know, I know, who buys a
coolie? —this girl. The only thing I could not find was a kimono. The epic
kimono making began.
I like Hobby Lobby. I go there as
often as I can without draining my life savings. I was on the hunt for fabric
that looked Japanese and could become a kimono with hot glue. It was cold, hot
glue would hold well. If you are dealing with a short kid, you only need about
4 yard of wide fabric to make a fake a kimono.
Three and a half yards became the outfit. Carefully glue all the newly
cut parts to their opposite and begin the front. Cut all the way up the middle
to the fold, cut a triangle out of the front top for the neck, then fold over
all the edges and glue down. The belt was folded and the bow was stuffed with
old packing Styrofoam pieces because I had no idea how they do that. Presto! A
kimono, of sorts, came into being and it was good.
The float progress continued through
the month. There were five people that committed to the project and helped it
come together. Before we knew it, the camel’s head was all that remained to
cover. We had enough supplies to do the entire float but not the camels head. (Are
you serious?) The entire success or failure depended on making a 2x4 look like
a camel’s face. It was right in the middle, it was the tallest animal, it was
the largest piece and we ran out of EVERYTHING.
Earlier that day, a man came through
and asked us if we wanted some day old Wonder Bread or buns. I accepted some
buns, someone else some bread, but there was much more left for us. We sat
staring at the camel, one by one our gazes moved to the Wonder Bread. It did
squish awfully well, after all. Could it hurt? Was it right? We didn’t have any
other options available at that time. Without saying exactly what happened, I
will say: there was less bread and one camel head, shortly thereafter. Hurriedly,
the face was shaped and covered and no one was the wiser.
The float was hauled out into the
street, lined up, we were right in the middle of nearly 100 floats, and we tested
the music. I went back to the office and helped the kids, get their costumes
sorted out. It is difficult do work quickly when your fingers are covered in
hot glue gun burns. The kid in the kimono asked if the real bows had Styrofoam
in them. I politely said I didn’t think so, while I tried on the belt.
Within an hour we were lined up and
ready to go. As quickly as it began it ended, in a complete a blur. Our work
team walked behind the float, the kids danced and the music blared so loud the
broadcast went to white noise and the commentators stopped talking while we
passed them. Later I saw the recording, Erin Davidson, a reporter, said, “well, that was
loud,” completely breaking script.
We were awarded first place in the
parade. We did so well we were asked to be in a neighboring community’s parade
a few weeks later. It is interesting how the only conversations I remember well
about that float were the ones that had to do with how we stuffed the animals. When
asked if we’d like to save the animals for the next float, with smiles, we said,
“no.”
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We do it all the time, overachieve and
put on a good covering. We can present a flawless picture to the outside world.
I would have liked to save the camel but the moldy bread would have ruined it.
The metaphor may break down because I’m not sure if Wonder Bread molds, but I
digress. I could have gone and purchased some more appropriate materials but it
was inconvenient at the time. I was tired and sick of being cold. I wanted to
be finished. God
won’t ask us to do anything God was not willing to do first. Jesus cares enough to lead us back to something as many times as it takes to be fixed, or healed, or our understanding to be changed--He doesn't want our insides hurting, broken, or rotting.
My point is this: if we do the hard
work, and do God’s way, the gift is that our insides are put right. I liked
that camel but I couldn’t keep it because the inside was rotten. If we do life
His way, we get to keep the camel.
