Sheltering in the Silent Night

Christmas, my child, is love in action. Every time we love, every time we give, it's Christmas.  ~ Dale Evans Rogers

Christmas is without a doubt my favorite time of year. I love the lights, the snow, the songs. More than that, I love the wonder of the birth of our Savior. I love the giving to others.

Eleanor Graf is the youth Sunday school teacher where we attend church. She is a fabulous role model and stresses giving to us as a class. During summer months she takes us to an elderly members home so we can weed her garden, then takes us shopping as a group to buy clothes and necessities for the crisis pregnancy center. At the beginning of the year, we adopted a child from Haiti named Angel. We collected an extra offering each week to send the money needed to support him. 

And of course our favorite thing to do during the Christmas season is going caroling to the older people in the church, including those who used to attend but are now bedridden and unable to make it out. Mrs. Graf bakes all sorts of goodies and boxes them up in a beautiful presentation. Then we get all bundled up and head out into the cold! This year we took sparklers to add to the festivities.

No matter how beautiful, or off-tune the harmonies, our friends loved the fact that we took the time to come visit them. Bro. McIver insisted we come in and play his piano--since it never gets played anymore--and sing some more songs. He wouldn’t let us leave until he passed out candy canes to us. He is such a sweetheart, and Mrs. Graf is already planning a trip back later in the year--to give his piano some use and give him some company. The Wallings are another wonderful couple we visited. Every year she refuses to let us come unless we let her make us hot chocolate. And boy, does she make the best hot chocolate ever!

It is amazing the blessings you will receive when you venture out to bless others.  Mom and I have heard several accounts recently of caroling and the effects of the carolers, and carolees…



Just a couple include…

My cousin, Pam, whose little girl was sick on the night they were supposed to attend a Christmas party. She was surprised and uplifted when several of her friends showed up at her door singing fun Christmas carols!

Mom’s friend Jo Dahler recently wrote, “With seven kids in our family after we got too old to get excited to go to bed early in anticipation for Christmas morning we started all going out really late on Christmas eve and caroling to our neighbors and close friends. It got to where they expected it and waited on us. It was so special singing with high clear sopranos and tenors…harmonizing out on those cold clear starry nights. This year on Thanksgiving day we all took Christmas flowers to Mom’s grave and after placing them we all sang those same songs together by her grave that we had sung with her so many times before.”

So you never know! Your song may be the bright spot in someone’s day. Go make a joyful noise! Go spread the joy. Jesus was born to save the world from sin. I don’t know about you, but I think that’s worth telling the world about.  May your days be merry and bright! Merry Christmas!