Last December it was 2020. The covid pandemic limited our social life. No one was coming to our house for Christmas. No class party, no Sunday School potluck, no Open House, no friends or neighbors over for dinner.

I could not bring myself to decorate for Christmas in 2020.

What’s the point?

It’s a lot of work to decorate for Christmas!

Bring all the Christmas boxes down from the attic
Clear out all the Fall decorations
Test all the lights
Put lights up outside along the rain gutter
Put lights and garland up along the living room ceiling
Buy a tree, put it up, light it, decorate it
Repair wreaths with a glue gun
Place all the wreaths inside and out
Hang up the Christmas card display
Set up all the nativity scenes on the piano and cabinet
Pull out the Christmas piano music books
Hang jingle bells on the front door
Put up the travel ornament trees
Hang the stockings in the kitchen (we don’t have a chimney!)
Pull out all the Christmas china
Set up all the fake presents around the tree
Return all the Christmas boxes to the attic

At Thanksgiving at my sister’s house, I was complaining to her about my lack of desire to decorate. But I like Christmas decorations! I love coming home to my house in the evening to find it lit up with lights! I love the scent of a fresh Christmas tree. I need my Christmas dishes.

“What is the minimum you need to feel your home is decorated for Christmas?”

— My Wise Sister

We decided that it takes 10.

Ten items that make me feel like it is Christmas in my house.

I didn’t want to drag out all my Christmas boxes, just to pick 10 items.

I didn’t want to shop for expensive new things that I wouldn’t use again.

What to do?

I went to the dollar store and spent 10 bucks!

Christmas Decorating Made Simple!

Here’s my minimum, the things I needed to feel “decorated”:

the scent of a living Christmas tree
a sparkly garland for the living room
a front door wreath
Christmas dishes
a Nativity set
a way to hang up Christmas cards
poinsettia for the front porch
jingle bells

It Takes Ten. Here are my 10, almost all from the dollar store:

A wreath from our local Christmas tree farm
Two red and silver garlands
A glittery Merry Christmas for the front door
Two Christmas dishes
Scotch tape to hang up Christmas cards
Fake poinsettias for the front porch
Bells for the door
Gold plastic bells
Rustic wood Merry & Bright
New throw pillow covers I sewed with Christmas fabric

I am missing lights and a Nativity set. But overall I was content with my finds.

After Christmas I boxed up everything in one small box labeled QUICK CHRISTMAS. For future needs!

Christmas in an AirBnB,
Christmas in a hospital room
Christmas in a motor home (ha - that’s never going to happen for me!)
etc

hallmark movie Christmas house — Hallmark movies are fun! But not realistic for the home decorator.

What is your minimum?

Are you putting too much pressure on yourself to have the perfect Christmas house?

“And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. ”

— Luke 2:8-11

A beautiful home brings peace and joy; so does the good news of Jesus.

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Are you prepared for strangers in work boots to tramp through your house? Right now?

police, fire, ems — such friendly, helpful looking people. it’s a stock photo, but i’m sure they are nice in real life!

Let me tell you my story.

It’s a story of unexpected visitors.

And an extremely messy house.

Don’t worry - there is no tragedy or heartbreak in this story.

I work from home. I have my own video production business, specializing in small business advertising and video courses.

I’m open for new clients, by the way!

woman at comuter — nope, that’s not me. it’s just another stock photo.

It’s Monday, the day after Thanksgiving week. We had been gone for a week, and were settling back into a routine and decorating for Christmas.

Monday was for catching up with work and restocking the fridge.

It’s 3pm. There is an urgent knock on the door. It is the construction man doing demolition on our attached garage.

knocking on door — Not my door. not my construction worker.

“I hit your gas line. I’ve called 911. I got to come in and turn off your oven gas. Get outside!”

— Construction Man

My next door neighbor offers cold water to my distraught Construction Man.

Within minutes, four fire engines, two police vehicles, and one motorcycle cop roll up. I can’t see the gas spewing out, but it is a very very loud hiss. I fear my gas bill will be humongous!

Everything turns out fine. It took until 5pm (2 hours) for it to be safe to go back inside, and my gas didn’t get turned back on until 1:30 in the morning. Good thing we don’t live in a cold part of the country!

But here is my point:

A lot of people walked through my house while they worked to keep me safe.

And my house is a MESS!

messy living room — definately a stock photo. there is no way i’m going to show you my real messy house!

I told you it was the first normal day after being away for Thanksgiving week. Here’s what all the workers encountered while tramping through my house:

grocery bags by the front door
fruits and vegetables all over the kitchen counter
Christmas boxes filling the hallway
Christmas decorations in various states of readiness
laundry basket blocking the back door
shoes, jackets, and bags strewn everywhere
a bunch of Amazon boxes in various stages of unpacking
a week’s worth of junk mail on the table
suitcases still on the floor
recycling can overfilled

man in hardhat and vest — amazingly, one of the gas company men looks a lot like this stock photo guy!

Let’s look at the big picture.

My house is still intact.
No one was hurt.
We didn’t freeze during the mild November night.
We saw our fine city employees doing a great job.

Let’s look at the small picture.

Everyone saw my messy house.

What is my point?

I’m sure these workers have seen it all! They’ve probably entered homes that are much more messy than mine.
I’m not going to apologize for being caught at a particularly challenging transition day.

But still!

“Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.”

— Hebrews 13:2

My neighbor showed hospitality by offering cold water to my distraught construction worker. And other neighbors showed hospitality to me by making phone calls (I ran out without my phone) and offering a camp chair to sit on while I waited oustide.

I hope the workers would say I showed hospitality by staying out of their way so they could do their work. And that I didn’t complain or fuss.

But my goal today:

Straighten up my house so that I can show hospitality without embarrassment!