Ugly Sweater Competition

 The ugliest sweater didn’t win.

It was actually an entire ugly outfit,

But it got lost in the mix because Coach Cronin was in the line-up.

Marcus, as I call Coach, didn’t really have an ugly sweater.

A Christmas sweater? Yes.

But an ugly sweater? No.

Yet he won the Ugly Sweater Competition

Because he is full of energy,

He pulled out his dance moves,

And he is known and loved by the whole school.

 

Kids know when they are loved.

And Marcus loves his students.

He shows it by learning over 500 names

And giving a plethora of silly nicknames.

He shows it by entertaining kids’ jokes and

Playing all kinds of games.

When a kid is upset, Marcus listens.

When a kid is happy, Marcus is happy too.

When a kid acts up, Marcus corrects the behavior.

When a kid gets it right, Marcus celebrates.

Marcus pays attention to our students and

Makes them feel as if they are important

(Because they are).

And so, Marcus won the Ugly Sweater Competition

By quite a few hollers.

 

Joe the Counselor complimented me the other day for being child-like.

Knowing that calling an adult child-like could be considered an insult,

He quickly explained his thinking.

He said that children have the amazing ability to feel emotions as they come.

One moment they may be perfectly happy,

But then something happens to upset them,

Then a few minutes later, they are perfectly happy again.

Children tend to stay in the moment rather than worrying too much about the past or future

And children sense when they are loved and figure out how to show love in return.

Jesus said that we should have the faith of a child—

Faith that is present now and

Rides whatever wave comes when it comes.

 

Last Friday, the children at my school rode the wave of the Ugly Sweater Competition

With love—

Love for a Coach that loves them—

And love for a moment in time when everyone was safe, happy, and warm.

This Holiday Season, may we each hold a child-like faith,

Honoring those who love us with literal and figurative screams of delight,

And feeling our emotions as they come.

 

And who knows?

Maybe we’ll win a competition, too,

Not by merit,

But by love alone,

For Love is the ultimate entry and prize.

 

Amen.