Two nights ago, my daughter Amy responded to a rather impassioned plea from a very dear friend of hers.
As the story goes, her grandmother is very ill and home bound; likely facing her last Christmas unless something changes. When Amy inquired, it appeared that something the grandmother would really love was to hear her favorite Christmas carols being sung "live" rather than over the radio. Amy tried lots of ways to get some "talented" people to take an hour to fulfill this Christmas request but came up short. She went about simply asking some of her dear friends and family members if they would be willing to give half an hour to make somebodys Christmas.
We showed up at the door of the home where this elderly woman and her family were eagerly awaiting us. The rag tag bunch of singers who gathered had never once been together as a group, had no rehearsal and none of the experience that one associates with such adventures.
However, none of that seemed to matter as we entered the grandmother's room, joined by the family, and simply began to sing the familiar and beautiful carols of Christmas. It wasn't long before some tears were freely flowing, smiles were everywhere punctuated by some laughter and even some applause of sincere appreciation.
The whole experience lasted only 20 minutes or so but the memory will be in the forefront of my mind throughout the Christmas season. It's really what time usually pushes out of our lives: that is the personal expression of unconditional love that is at the heart of Christmas.
And so my night of our caroling experience will not go down as the best "performance" of my life but it may well be remembered as one of the most pure gifts that I've been privileged to give in a long time.
Blessings!
Dr. Jay
If our kids only knew all that we would do for them out of our love for them. You give us a good picture of how our Father God loves us and wants to help us!
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