A Significance

This Christmas holds more significance to me than others before. I'll tell you how this came about:

I've been listening to Christmas music since before Thanksgiving, and for a while it was mostly the fun, secular songs (e.g.White Christmas, The Christmas Song, etc.). I listened to so much of this music that I was startled when I heard the words I was singing to a carol about Jesus. I was surprised at the depth of the meaning.

I realized that I was singing about God's Son coming to save us out of death. Since Mom's passing in April, death has been a lot more real to me, and I've tasted the deep repulsion and grief that Jesus felt for it at Lazarus's tomb.

Since this realization, I rejoice at the fact that these songs are being sung loud for all to hear, even by those who don't yet believe them. I rejoice at the fact that we can worship through carols that have been sung for years and years. They are songs of a Savior coming--Someone to save us from death!!

Once in royal David's City,

Stood a lowly cattle shed,

Where a mother laid her Baby,

In a manger for His bed.

Mary was that mother mild,

Jesus Christ, her little Child.

He came down to earth from heaven,

Who is God and Lord of all,

And His shelter was a stable,

And His cradle was a stall.

With the poor, and mean, and lowly,

Lived on earth our Savior holy.

For He is our childhood's pattern;

Day by day, like us, He grew;

He was little, weak, and helpless,

Tears and smiles, like us, He knew;

And He cares when we are sad,

And He shares when we are glad.

And our eyes, at last, shall see Him,

Through His own redeeming love;

For that Child so dear and gentle,

Is our Lord in heaven above.

And He leads His children on,

To the place where He is gone.

Merry Christmas!