Ladies' Christmas Tea--and the Name Above Every Name

Today I got to attend a beautiful ladies' Christmas tea. I had been asked to help set up the gift table with all the totes of Christmas care items for the Springs Rescue Mission, so I arrived early and got to watch the hostess ladies setting their tables. We had so much fun!

Eight ladies "hosted" tables and brought their own plates, tea cups, tea pot, ware, and decorations for the rest of us to enjoy. This beautiful cardinal and white poinsettia decor was amazing!

I liked the ones with lights! 

This setting, brought by another Anna (who hugged me and said the name Anna is a very wonderful name!) was just plain elegant--even if some of it was from the Dollar store!!!

This one above caught my attention immediately, though. I guess simple farm or country decor just attracts me before I can help it! But really it wasn't the red and white cotton napkins or the Pioneer Woman tea bag holders.

It wasn't even the purposely mismatched tea cups--since everyone knows how mismatched Anna tends to be and how at home I would feel with anything simple, country, varied, and creative!

It wasn't even the vine wreath made from grape vines from Chris's grandfather's farm, or the lights, or the blue berries in the greens.

It was the Names. 

 Chris had drawn twelve names of Christ on twelve ceramic ornaments and surrounded the centerpiece with those Names.  

And as I read those names, I just simply got goosebumps.

I loved the little bits of holly, angel, candle, dove, and other decor she had drawn on as well, but it was the Names that drew me.

While the ladies finished their work, I went outside the venue and took a walk in the sunshine around this little lake that is right in the middle of a development. 

And I hoped.

I wasn't sure what the seating arrangement would be, but oh, I so hoped I would get to sit at that country table with the names of Christ on the ornaments. 

Well, was I ever happy when I arrived back inside and Chris invited me to sit at that very table of hers! So there I sat with all those names, the names that are above every name. 

 

Jesus

Son of God

Prince of Peace

King of kings

Light of the World

Emmanuel

Messiah

Savior

Good Shepherd

Rock

Advocate

Redeemer

There were other Christ-centered centerpieces.

The table settings were beautiful and festive.

 

There was a lot of cheer!

Chefs from the Springs Rescue Misison (possibly ones that came with nothing and were trained to be chefs so they could find a job) catered the food. There was grilled chicken kabobs and bacon-wrapped dates!

There were three kinds of hummus for veggie dips.   

 There was fresh fruit, some carved into shapes!

 

I enjoyed a bit of nearly everything.

 

And I certainly enjoyed hearing the updates about the outreaches the Springs Rescue Mission is involved in. (Our family provided music more than once for the mission in years past, and helped serve the meal once or twice there.)

 We each got to fill one or two or more gift bags and write notes in Christmas cards for the mission to distribute.  

Sixty-five bags were prepared by the ladies...

as we collected socks, gloves, combs, tissues, hand lotion, candy, etc, 

 and packed one of each into gift bags.

 I loved that. 

And we appreciated all that the four church guys did to help serve!

But it was the Names that I couldn't forget. 

Jesus. 

Rock.

Good Shepherd.   

 And then at the end of the tea, Chris told each of us at her table that we could choose one of those ornaments to take home with us. I looked at all those ornaments, and I loved all of them, but the one that meant the most to me was "Advocate." Perhaps because in my youth when I was trying to walk with the Lord, and then throughout my life, I have so needed Him to be my advocate when I failed to do always as I should have. "My little children," John wrote in 1 John 2:1, "these things I write unto you that you sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world."

When I drew that ornament from the circle of ornaments and told Chris I would take that one, I found myself tearing up. I know it was just an ornament, and there were bells on it, and I love bells, but the name "Advocate" touched me clear to the bottom of my heart.

When I arrived home, boxes of my new book Christmas in the Carpathian Mountains had just been delivered. 

I had something to be excited about--250 new books with my name on as the author.

But I didn't even think about my name.

I didn't pay a whole lot of attention to each of the twelve names I addressed on twelve or so packages I wrapped in tape today as I filled the pre-orders for this book and Sunshine and Shadows in Kiev.

But all evening I was just mesmerized with thinking about those names of Jesus on that simple table at the ladies' tea.

Jesus

Son of God

Prince of Peace

King of kings

Light of the World

Emmanuel

Messiah

Savior

Good Shepherd

Rock

Advocate

Redeemer

Goosebumps.

And tears.

And which Name means the most to you?