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Styrofoam Angels

12/22/2021

14 Comments

 
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​What goes on the top of your Christmas tree? An angel? A bow? A star?
 
When our children were young they created an angel out of a disposable Styrofoam cup. The angel had a Styrofoam ball head, cotton hair, big blue sequin eyes, silver wings made from a repurposed Christmas bow, and a halo of plastic flowers poked into the angel’s head. The kids named her Gloria. In my opinion, Gloria was the prettiest ornament on the tree.
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I’m sad to say, since the children have grown and moved out of the house, Gloria no longer has a place on the family Christmas tree. I bring her out every year, along with the other decorations, and suggest she be returned to her favored position on top of the tree—every year Kathie overrules the suggestion. At which point, I return Gloria to the crumpled pasteboard box that bears her name.
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Beside Gloria’s name are the names of my three children: Faith, Ryan, and Nathan. Beside the children’s name we chronicled the year it was their turn to place Gloria on the tree. It never fails, as I close the lid on the Styrofoam angel—with her faded hair and broken wing—I savor the memory of holding my children on my shoulders, watching with joy as they gingerly placed Gloria on top of the tree. 
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The angel appears to be nothing more than an old disposable cup that should have been tossed in the trash years ago; but to me, it is a cup filled with Christmas treasures—sacred memories that I will value for eternity.
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The Styrofoam angel in the bottom of our Christmas decorations reminds me of God’s upside down kingdom. Jesus said, those who are last will be first; the meek will inherit the earth, and those who are humble will be exalted.  People, places, and things, that are devalued and overlooked in this world are lifted up and deeply appreciated in the Father’s heart.

  • A pheasant girl from Nazareth--a town that nothing of value would come from—becomes the mother of God.
  • A humble manger becomes a bed for the Son of God.
  • Lowly Shepherds, tending their flock on the backside of Bethlehem, become the audience of angels and the first to hear a savior has been born.

​If this Christmas season you feel worn-out and under-appreciated; if you believe the lie that joy was meant for everyone else but you; if you are holding your breath, waiting for the holidays to pass because they only serve to remind you that you are alone and unhappy, may I share some good news with you . . . there is a good Father in heaven who deeply treasures who you are.
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It is God’s desire to lift you up and exalt you to a place of glory!
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14 Comments
Doris Stoess
12/24/2021 05:34:53 am

I love it, you raise me up.

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Larry Stoess
12/24/2021 08:05:58 am

Love you mom. Thanks for all the wonderful Christmas memories you and Dad created for our family.

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Charles Broaddus
12/24/2021 05:36:25 am

Thanks Larry that's a beautiful wonderful memory and message. Thank you for starting my Christmas Eve with the true reason for the season. Thank you and MERRY CHRISTMAS to you, the whole Stoess family and to The Church of the Promise Family.

Reply
Larry Stoess
12/24/2021 08:06:42 am

Merry Christmas to you Chuck. It was good seeing you last night. Hope you have a happy holiday.

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Samantha andersonsamantha71281@gmail.com What
12/24/2021 06:02:32 am

What an incredible story. Thank you for sharing that with us.

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Larry Stoess
12/24/2021 08:07:12 am

Thanks Sam, hope you have a happy holiday.

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gene ford
12/24/2021 10:23:20 am

a very sweet story--bringing back lots of memories
tara played silent night which is the one song which brings back many childhood memories

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Larry
12/27/2021 11:52:00 am

Happy new year to you Gene. May 2022 create more great memories for us all.

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Diana Calvert
12/24/2021 10:54:53 am

Merry Christmas!

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Larry
12/27/2021 11:54:08 am

Thanks Diana and Happy New Year to you and Rick.

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Penny Pearson
12/24/2021 01:23:53 pm

She’s beautiful. I’d be glad to have her on our tree.
We gave our angel to our daughter when we moved to South Carolina. She’s the angel from our first Christmas tree 60 years ago. She has a tiny China head on top a paper funnel covered with white feathers. As our trees got taller we enongated the funnel and added more feathers.
Now we’re back in Louisville we no longer have our own angel.

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Larry
12/27/2021 11:55:49 am

Thanks Penny!

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Elizabeth McCormack
12/24/2021 06:42:00 pm

Thank you for sharing this, Larry. Thank you to you and Kathie for modeling Jesus’ love for people, places, and things of this world that are devalued and overlooked. Merry Christmas!!

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Larry
12/27/2021 11:57:46 am

Thank you Elizabeth.

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    ​Larry Stoess is an author, public speaker, and urban church planter. He loves telling stories about how dreaming with God will empower people to make old and broken things new again. Larry and a band of friends founded the Church of the Promise in Louisville's Portland neighborhood; The Table, a pay-what-you-can community café; and Promise Housing Plus, a non-profit construction company. He has written about their experience of dreaming with God in his new book: Think Red.

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