Christmas as Mary

There is something that is just so cute about little Japanese children dressed up to look like Israelites.
Yesterday was the dress rehearsal for the English Christmas play in one of the cities I teach at; the performance is next week. A little Joseph pulling little Mary in a cardboard box donkey to the painted sheet stable; little shepherds warming their hands over a flashlight and tissue paper fire and little angels appearing to them in tinsel and white drapes singing hallelujah; 4 little wisemen (one of who's Magi hat keeps tipping over) following a star taped to a broomstick handle to King Herod's chair (where the king keeps untying his servant's costume so it falls off), and bringing three fancied up cookie tins from Tokyo Disneyland to a baby doll Jesus. I think this is how Christmas is supposed to be, never perfect and always a lot of fun.
But I made it through the week and once again it's Saturday. On Monday night I was seriously wondering how I would be able to function for the next five days; I was sick from a head cold, had absolutely no energy and was fed up with teaching. I showed up at the church to lesson plan on Tuesday morning and was fighting the whole time to not cry because I was so burnt out. But I'm under amazing missionaries, and they offered to teach my night classes for me so I could go home after the morning class. God gave me just enough energy to not collapse during that class, and then I went home and spent the next two days in bed. I think I've had more rest this week than I've had in the past two months; I can't remember the last time I was at home for so many consecutive hours. It was really weird, but amazing all at the same time.
Next week is full of Christmas parties and Christmas play practice, and then it will be over and I'll be in Tokyo...and then it will be next year.
But I will not think of that yet. For now, for today, for this weekend, I'm just content to be doing much of nothing and not having much responsibility.
I've decided that it's so much easier to me a Martha in this world, and it feels like heaven when you actually have time to be a Mary.