Gloria's Haven of Truth

The W in Christmas
I thought I’d share this with everyone! Feel free to post this in your own journals and share it with those you love! I think it’s a good reminder of what Christmas is truly about. I also believe it’s a reminder that God’s love for us doesn’t end on Christmas. It’s lifelong and year round. That’s how I believe our love for one another should be.

The 'W' in Christmas

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 exciting season for a six year old.

For weeks, he'd been memorizing songs for his school's 'Winter Pageant.' I didn't have the heart to tell him I'd be working the night of the production.
Unwilling to miss his shining moment, I spoke with his teacher. She assured me there'd be a dress rehearsal the morning of the presentation. All parents
unable to attend that evening were welcome to come then. Fortunately, Nicholas seemed happy with the compromise.

So, the morning of the dress rehearsal, I filed in ten minutes early, found a spot on the cafeteria floor and sat down. Around the room, I saw several
other parents quietly scampering to their seats. As I waited, the students were led into the room. Each class, accompanied by their teacher, sat cross-legged
on the floor. Then, each group, one by one, rose to perform their song.

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 his 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 audience of 1st through 6th graders 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 teachers tried to shush the children, the laughter continued until the last letter was raised, and 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 we celebrated 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.

Mesai an and Aloha forn ow

Who? God
What? He loves you
Where? Everywhere
When? Always, forever, without ceasing.
How? Unconditionally, totally and completely.
Why? Because you are His child.

”God is here and He loves us. In spite of all the mistakes. And He has a plan for us all.” Gloria

Current Mood: calm
Current Music: Mae Whitman-I Heard the Bells

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