The Songs of Christmas and an Invitation

Some of the greatest joy in my life comes from my grandchildren. If you've been reading for very long, you know I have three: Lauren, 5, Caroline, 3, and Andrew (aka Bubby) who’s 1. 

We had the pleasure of caring for Andrew for five days recently while the rest of his family went to Disney World. 

As familiar as he is with us, we knew he might have a hard time. Not just because he’d be missing his Mommy, or his Mommy and his Daddy, but he’d be missing his mommy, his daddy, his sisters, and his house. Not to mention nursing, because he wasn’t quite weaned yet. 


Thankfully, he went down easily that first night. The little fella was worn out from keeping up with Papa and Gigi all day. But around midnight I heard him cry. Now I know enough not to rush in there, because oftentimes babies will soothe themselves back to sleep, but that’s not what happened this night. 

His whimper became a cry. 

His cry became a shriek, which eventually became an all-out wail. 

I rushed into his room, scooped him up from his Pack-and-Play and began to soothe him. 

He cried louder. 

I rocked him faster. 

He continued to cry. 

I patted. 

I jiggled. 

I bounced. 

And then I remembered something my daughter had said. “When I put him to sleep, sometimes I rock him and sing.” 

And so I began to sing, so softly I wondered if he could hear me over his cries. 

Jesus loves me this I know. For the Bible tells me so. Little ones to him belong. They are weak, but he is strong. 

His cries grew softer. 

And softer. 

And softer.

Until the only sound I heard was the snuffle of his peaceful breathing. 

It's true - music touches the deepest part of our hearts. 

I watched the powerful effect of music in my grandmother’s nursing home room one Christmas season. 

My granny was suffering from dementia. Although I visited every week, it had been almost a year since she had spoken to me. She didn’t know my name, or hers for that matter. She didn’t make eye contact, and she certainly couldn’t carry on a conversation. 

That Christmas, knowing it was probably the last Christmas we’d spend with her, our family gathered around her bedside. We’d brought a tiny Christmas tree and decorated it with twinkling lights, but she was oblivious to her surroundings. We tried telling her about what we were planning to eat for Christmas dinner, what gifts we’d bought for the children. We held her hand and stroked her soft grey hair. 

Still no response. 

“What’s your granny’s favorite Christmas carol?” my husband asked. 

“Silent Night,” I responded. 

So he began to sing. “Silent night, holy night, all is calm, all is bright.” 

One by one we all joined in. 

So many conflicting emotions swirled in my head. Gratitude for God’s good gifts – my family, my salvation, my Granny. I closed my eyes and let the music wash over me until I felt a sharp elbow poke me. 

I frowned and turned to my husband, grumpy that he was interrupting this holy moment. Ignoring my frown, he nodded in the direction of my granny. My grandmother, who hadn’t spoken in a year, was singing the words to her favorite Christmas carol. 

“All is calm. All is bright. . . . “ 

Music touches us in in the deepest part of our hearts – and our brains. 

Have you ever gotten chills, or felt tears form in your eyes as you’ve listened to an especially beautiful piece of music? Listening to music can create peak emotions, which increase the amount of dopamine, a specific neurotransmitter that is produced in the brain and helps control the brain’s reward and pleasure centers. 

Music can evoke emotions. But emotions can also invoke music. 

One of my grandson Andrew’s favorite activities is to swing in our backyard. He loves feeling the fresh air on his face, hearing the birds in the trees, and watching the neighbor’s dogs. One day I was pushing him back and forth, and I could tell his little heart was happy. 

How did I know? He was singing. 

MAAAA Ma. DAAAA Da. MAA Ma. DAAA Da. 

The joy in his little heart just had to come out, and it came out in a song. 

Kind of like Luke. You remember him, the author of one of the four gospels? 

I’m enjoying an Advent book called Awaiting the Already, by Magrey deVega. This is what the author says about the book of Luke: 

“Luke is unique in the manner of writing he brings to the Christmas story. Mark wrote with an ominous tone. John wrote with poetic flourish. But Luke wrote with a song in his head. There’s no other way to explain why nearly every major character in Luke’s Nativity story breaks out into a song at some point. 

“Luke is a lot like a Rogers and Hammerstein musical: Something happens to someone, and they sing about it. So if Mark is like a Reader’s Digest, Matthew is like a Steven King novel, and John is like a Shakespeare play, then Luke is like a Broadway musical. 

“Every time something great happens to someone, they breaks out into song.” 

Consider Mary’s Magnificat, or Zechariah’s prophecy, or Elizabeth’s song in seclusion. Luke really loves his songs. 

And come to think of it, isn’t this true of all of us? 

I’ll be exploring the power of song and delving into three singers in the heavenly chorus of the Christmas story this Saturday, December 1, from 9:30 – 12, at New Testament Baptist Church, 300 Sims Ave., in Columbia, SC. 

Women will be gathering for Christmas Coffee, Carols, and Cards. Our morning will begin with hot cups of coffee, yummy pastries, and fellowship. I’ll share “The Songs of Christmas – Which One Are You Singing?” Then we’ll tap into our creative side as Kathy Morganelli teaches us how to make a unique, personalized Christmas card. 

The event is free, but space is limited. If you’re in the Columbia area, I’d love to see you there. RSVP by tomorrow, Tuesday, November 27 to Robin Bishop, bishopsfore@gmail.com. 

And if you don't live in the area, or can’t make it this Saturday, keep reading Hungry for God…Starving for Time. Over the next few blog posts, I’ll be sharing more about the three singers of Christmas and how their songs can become our songs this holiday season. 


Dear Hungry for God friends,

I suspect there are quite a few busy women on your Christmas list. Friends, co-workers, fellow church members, and your children's teachers, coaches, and babysitters, to name a few.

If you'd like to give them a gift that will draw them closer to the Lord, encourage them to spend time in God's Word, and think biblically, Hungry for God ... Starving for Time, Five-Minute Devotions for Busy Women is the gift you're looking for.

And what about those friends and loved ones who may not have a relationship with the Lord?

In the last devotion in the book, I share, in a winsome and non-threatening way, what it means to have a relationship with Jesus Christ.

If you give someone you care about a copy of HFG, you'll not only be passing along spiritual encouragement, you'll also be sharing the gospel. Either way, you could change someone's life forever.

And that's what Christmas is all about.

I'm excited to say that
Hungry for God . . . Starving for Time has 112 reviews and a 4.8 star rating on Amazon. It received the Christian Small Publisher Book of the Year award in 2016.

If you live in the Columbia, South Carolina area, I'd love to autograph and personalize copies for your special friends. Email me at LoriAHatcher (at) gmail.com.



  

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