A Christmas Carol Brought to Life by Wendy L. Macdonald

 

A Christmas carol that was brought to life also brought tears to my eyes. Although we didn’t attend the Campbell River Baptist Church at the time, word reached us that they hosted the best Christmas event of the season. We anticipated the 30-minute drive to get there would be worth every kilometer. Some events are worth suffering a long lineup of waiting; this is how it was one December evening in 1994 as we attended their live Nativity.

A long line of couples, families, and singles waited outside the ancient “city of Bethlehem” that was carefully—and no doubt prayerfully—reenacted by a team of church volunteers. 

As our section of the lineup approached the re-creation of the little town where Jesus was born, we heard sheep bleat, smelled fresh baked bread, and spotted people dressed as though they’d just stepped out of the Book of Matthew. The night air was cold against our skin, but as soon as we entered the little town of Bethlehem, we were too distracted to mind. The busyness of the Christmas story came to life all around us. 

A man dressed in humble robes shouted prophecies about Jesus and about man’s need to repent. While he spoke words I recognized from Scripture, other actors and actresses bustled about selling food, wares, or tending to their livestock. My face no longer felt stiff from cold, but I felt the strain of my wide smiles as they stretched taut over thawing cheekbones. I inhaled and meditated upon the sights, sounds, and smells swirling before me.

We meandered through the crowd and cluster of commerce, for in those Bible days wages were desperately needed to buy goods, foods, and services for families struggling to survive during the oppression of the Roman Empire. 

Suffering comes in all sorts and sizes of circumstances; my cross at the time was a decade-long-journey of infertility.

 When we came to the end of the town, the beauty of the live Nativity packed a poignant punch. I sucked in a sorrowful breath and exhaled a serene sigh as my emotions threatened to trickle out through tears. But I held them back and chose to think beyond myself. I gazed upon the young mother and her newborn baby as if they really were Jesus and Mary.

My heart settled calm like a baby cradled in loving arms as I marveled afresh what God had done for mankind—for me. 

God with us is the most generous gift ever given and received. 

Yes, a child of my own would be wonderful. But a few months before this night, I had chosen to trust God with my desire. I had chosen to believe He would either take my grief away or fill my arms with a child of my own.

Emmanuel is a marvelous gift to us that reminds us anything is possible with God. Anything. He can settle a heart broken by barrenness. He can fill an empty womb. He can bring joy in ways we never hoped or imagined. God with us means we never need to suffer alone. We never need to pretend all is well; we can bring our sorrow to God’s always overflowing well of hope. He is with us to comfort us, to carry us, and to lead us with love.  

After twelve years of infertility, God showed me I could walk through this valley with palatable peace and sincere joy. 

For so long I avoided places that reminded me of my barrenness. I had stopped going to baby showers. I had refused to go to church on Mother’s Day, and I stayed miles away from young mothers. 

But one day God plopped me in the middle of a bunch of mothers-to-be and showed me I could survive the grief if I shared my sorrow with Him. For years I’d bottled it up. I feared feeling the sting and ache of empty arms. When I finally poured out my heart with unfiltered phrases and unreserved passion, God met me and filled me with a peace I couldn’t explain. It changed me. He changed me. God with us made me brave to face whatever would or wouldn’t be. 

What I didn’t realize while I was stirred by the live Nativity scene was that the life of my own child stirred inside of me. Nine months later my long lineup of waiting—of suffering—ended with the birth of my first son. God with us was indeed with me. He’d been there all along. I just needed to lean my head against His heart no matter what life brought or didn’t bring to mine.   

“The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”). Matthew 1:23 NIV

Christmas Blessings ~ Wendy Mac

I'm nosy-to-know if a Christmas carol has ever caused you to tear up in public? 

(Do you use Spotify? Please check out my podcast: Hope Walking. 

A Christmas Classic Conveys Moral Lessons by Nina Faye Morey

Charles Dickens’ novella, A Christmas Carol, is a beloved and enduring holiday classic. My Christmas just wouldn’t feel complete without it. Every year, I watch as many movie versions as I can. I always wanted to take in a theatre production, as well, but somehow never got around to it.

Last year, my birthday being just before Christmas, I decided to visit my daughter and her family for a triple celebration: my landmark birthday, my grandchildren’s baptisms, and the Christmas holidays. My daughter and son-in-law planned a very special treat for my birthday. They took me to Edmonton’s Citadel Theatre for dinner and to see their production of A Christmas Carol. It’s the best birthday present they could have given me!

Why do I love this imaginative and delightful Christmas tale so much? Well, besides being entertaining and enchanting, it also teaches several moral lessons that exemplify the true meaning of Christmas.

Our Conduct Determines Our Destiny. The Ghost of Jacob Marley urges Scrooge to learn from his mistakes to avoid facing a similar destiny. He arranges for three Spirits to visit Scrooge to give him a chance to redeem himself. These Spirits of the Past, Present, and Future force Scrooge to confront his many moral failings. The Spirit of the Future shows him his fate if he doesn’t change. Despairing of this desperate end, Scrooge pleads with the Spirit, “Oh, tell me I may sponge away the writing on this stone!”

It’s Never Too Late to Change. The three Spirits offer Scrooge insights into the consequences of his ways and a chance to turn his life around. When the Spirit of the Future shows him what his miserable, miserly life has brought him—a lonely death with no one to mourn his passing and a forlorn grave in a desolate churchyard—he vows to make a fresh start. “I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future. The Spirits of all three shall strive within me. I will not shut out the lessons that they teach!”

It’s Better to Give than to Receive. Scrooge is a miserable old miser who counts every penny and despises charity. When two gentlemen ask him to give a Christmas donation for the poor, Scrooge responds, “Are there no prisons? Are there no workhouses?” When they explain that many of the poor would rather die than go to such places, he responds coldly, “Then they had better do it, and decrease the surplus population.” By the end of the story, Scrooge repents of his miserliness and opens up his heart and his wallet to give them a generous donation.

Treat Others as You’d Have Them Treat You (The Golden Rule). Scrooge’s behaviour displays disrespect and lack of concern for others. Scrooge mistreats and takes advantage of everyone, especially his faithful clerk, Bob Cratchit. He won’t allow him to burn enough coal to keep the office warm. He even begrudges him time off with his family at Christmas. After witnessing his certain doom, Scrooge is forced to re-examine his selfish ways. He undergoes a change of heart, providing a huge turkey for the Cratchits’ Christmas dinner, giving Bob a raise and promotion, and becoming like a second father to their invalid son, Tiny Tim.

Scrooge learns the moral lessons the Spirits teach and transforms his life. “He became as good a friend, as good a master, and as good a man as the good old city knew. . . .” He was even better than his word, doing everything he promised and more. And it was said that thereafter Scrooge knew how to keep Christmas well.

Photo: Pixabay