Live Nativity...An Awesome Opportunity

Tonight Jason, Jacob, and I went to Lake Lanier Islands to participate in the annual Live Nativity that our church hosts. It was such a fun time and a great way to connect with people both in our community and from other cities and states.
Jacob was very excited because this was the first year that he was able to be a part of the drama team. He was given the role of a shepherd, which he fulfilled in a very sweet way, as you can see in the pictures. As we talked about it, we thought that Jacob's part in it made the scene even more realistic,since in Bible times boys Jacob's age probably did go with their fathers into the fields to shepherd the sheep. We know that David was a young shepherd boy, so it seemed even more authentic to me. (Of course I am a proud mother, so I am bound to have this opinion!)
I served in the hospitality tent, giving out free hot chocolate and visiting with those who came in to get warm. It is always great fun to get together with others and fellowship & serve. We were steady, but not overwhelmed and we had alot of fun meeting all of the different types of people that came along. I think the highlight of the evening for me came when a group of about 25 young men from a local drug & alcohol treatment home came in and chatted with us for about 15-20 minutes. I was so encouraged to hear how God is changing them and freeing them from the vicious cycle of addiction. Many of them shared freely about their struggles and the troubled homes they grew up in. A few of them mentioned that their fathers were also in treatment for the same issues. Obviously not every one of them will stay drug & alcohol free, but there is hope that many of them will and it was a blessing to see them making these changes now while they still have the opportunity to live long lives for Christ.
Once again, we set out to be a blessing to others and walked away instead extremely blessed ourselves and thanking God for the great things He does in the hearts and lives of His people! We are looking forward to our next opportunity to reach the people around us!