Today I read a friends blog post about love. She eloquently captured what it does to us... when we receive it, when we give it, when we experience it. How blessed are we all? For we are all very, very, very loved.
Her blog reminded me of a story about Christmas Love....as told by a mother.
"Each December, I vowed to make Christmas a calm and peaceful experience. I had cut back on nonessential obligations - extensive card writing,endless baking, decorating, and even overspending. Yet still, I found myself exhausted, unable to appreciate the precious family moments, and of course, the true meaning of Christmas.
My son, Nicholas, was in kindergarten that year. It was an excitingseason for a six year old. For weeks, he'd been memorizing songs for his school's "Winter Pageant." Because the public school system had long stopped referring to the holiday as "Christmas," I didn't expect anything other than fun, commercial entertainment songs of reindeer, Santa Claus, snowflakes and good cheer. So, when my son's class rose to sing, "Christmas Love," I was slightly taken aback by its bold title. Nicholas was aglow, as were all of his classmates, adorned in fuzzy mittens, red sweaters, and bright snowcaps upon their heads. Those in the front row- center stage - held up large letters, one by one, to spell out the title of the song. As the class would sing "C is for Christmas," a child would hold up the letter C. Then, "H is for Happy," and on and on, until each child holding up their portion had presented the complete message, "Christmas Love." The performance was going smoothly, until suddenly, we noticed her; a small, quiet, girl in the front row holding the letter "M" upside down - totally unaware her letter "M" appeared as a "W". The youngsters in the audience snickered at this little one's mistake, but she had no idea they were laughing at her, so she stood tall, proudly holding her "W". Although many parents tried to shush the children, the giggling continued until the last letter was raised, when we all saw it together. A hush came over the audience and eyes began to widen. In that instant, we understood the reason we were there, why wecelebrated the holiday in the first place, why even in the chaos, there was a purpose for our festivities. For when the last letter was held high, the message read loud and clear: "C H R I S T W A S L O V E"
And, I believe, He still is. He gives us new days, the love of others, and everything to be thankful for. I continue to be amazed in His presence and humbled by His love. Have a very, Merry Christmas. We love you all.
