December Twenty-Fourth

We have attended three Christmas services at churches in the past few days! Each one was beautiful, but today’s was extra special. Led by our son, Greg, accompanying on guitar, it featured many lovely carols sung by the small group gathered at their church.

Especially meaningful to us was seeing our grandchildren, Adam and Allison, giving musical offerings on the keyboard, trumpet and flute. While having been band members throughout their high school careers, they’ve been taking piano lessons a scarce month and- a-half and have had their piano for barely a month. From the first tentative notes of Christmas music sounding forth from the piano a few weeks ago, they have progressed to the quite respectable repertoire they were able to present today. Daily we had heard with satisfaction the painstaking pounding of the keys in the repetition of practice--so worth it as we enjoyed their concert tonight!

It was the capping off of a day that had begun on a note of triumph when Howard came in from visiting an old acquaintance at the nursing home this morning. My husband was bubbling over with cheer and amazement that the Alzheimer patient had conversed lucidly and amiably with him, even joining in as he led the familiar worship songs and strummed the guitar. “I believe he is getting well and will go home soon!” Howard exclaimed positively, praising God for answered prayer.

Thanks to the foresight of our son and daughter-in-law, we would come in from the Christmas Eve service to the heady aroma of a crock-pot meal waiting for us, feeling like English bards of old as we savored the sauce of the roast pork and potatoes heaped tantalizingly upon our plates. Nostalgic tv movies after supper lulled us toward our beds.

All are sleeping now, no doubt with visions of sugar plums dancing in the heads of the little ones. A tell-tale plate of two cookies and a partially empty glass of milk left out presents a small vignette of childish fancy and parental conspiracy in fond acquiescence to young imaginations.

Our hearts spill over with gratefulness for God’s goodness this Christmas season. The words of “God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen” come to mind as I reflect on the “..tidings of comfort and joy” that Jesus Christ our Saviour was born on Christmas day! “O, tidings of comfort and joy!”