About a year ago, I decided to try and come up with another fundraiseing event for the church. The cookbooks had been a big success, so I wanted to try something new. I came up with the idea of an Artisan and Crafters show and sale- something a little different from the typical Christmas craft sale. I had no idea how much work was invovled- promotions, attracting exhibitors, advertising, alloting space, prices to charge, etc.
I travelled The County with flyers, attended different show, visited different craft stores and got to work on plans. I was really worried that there woudln't be enough exhibitors to make it worthwile, so my nerves started to act up. I lost a lot of sleep. It was on my mind 24/7. Finally the time came to put it all together and the the show opened on November 27.
During the first night of the show, one of the cash boxes containng the entry fee at the front door went missing. I'm not sure how it happend or who was responsible. We had a suspicion, but no proof. Everyone was upset. My first reation was "who would do that?" But after a while I thought "Well, mayber whoever took it needed the money more than we did." Of course, all this added to the stress of the first show!
Well, somehow, word got out among the exhibitors, and the next day, one of them presented me with a shoebox. I opened it and it contained $75. The exhibitors had taken it upon themselves to replace the missing money!
This gesture totally shocked me and I broke down. Some stress was relieved, but it was a very emotional day, and by Saturday night, I was quite exhausted. When I told the congregation the story the next morning in church, I had tears in my eyes.
The show was a success financially, and many of the exhibitors asked me to reserve them a spot for next year.
God was surely watching over us and I pray that next year's sale will be blessed as well.
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